


Lost Child

by fluffykitty12



Category: Walking Dead
Genre: Daryl Daughter, Daryl Dixon Daughter Fic, Daryl dixon with daughter, Fatherly Daryl, Gen, Protective Daryl
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-03
Updated: 2016-05-08
Packaged: 2018-04-12 17:15:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 43
Words: 78,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4488003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fluffykitty12/pseuds/fluffykitty12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daryl was always a loner. Even when his brother was around, he wasn't always with him. He never acted nurturing, never seemed loving towards anyone accept Carol. But that all changed the day she stumbled into his life. This is what the show would've been like if Daryl discovered an orphaned girl looking for a protector- and realized he was the redneck for the job. Jamie's damaged- hell, they all are- and he's never been the fatherly type- but looking into the kid's eyes, he knows he'll do his damndest to give this kid the life she deserves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Getting Caught

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I think they need more Daryl hurt/comfort moments, and I'm hoping my OC makes this possible. Please review if you want me to continue!

The first time she wandered onto the land was in early summer, just as the dew was drying off the grass and the heat was coming out. She stumbled out of the woods, the very same woods that Daryl had stumbled out of and been mistaken as a walker a few weeks earlier.

"There's someone out there!" Called Dale, who'd been sitting atop the RV, keeping watch.

"A walker?" growled Daryl, who'd been sitting a few feet away skinning a squirrel.

"Yeah, it looks like it..." Dale said calmly. Daryl shouldered his crossbow and took off running towards it before anyone could stop him.

"Shane! There's a walker! Everyone inside!" Rick ordered, grabbing his pistol and tearing off after Daryl.

The supposed walker panted. She could hear the moaning behind her, they were coming. Stupid bastards. She'd been looking for Ryder, they'd been caught out after dark. They normally were, but they'd gotten separated and hadn't been able to spend the night holed up in a tree like they normally did...

She pulled an arrow from her quiver, notching it and realizing with horror it was her last one.

Daryl slowed to a jog as he saw she wasn't a walker. "A kid?" he asked himself, slightly shocked. She threw a glance over her shoulder at him before the walkers burst from the woods.

A woman in a tattered nightgown, the skin around her mouth torn, a fat man drooling with bulging eyes, and what looked to be two teenage boys, all with mainly intact bodies except for a limp and some exposed ribs.

She let the arrow fly and dropped the bow, ripping the hatchet from the holster she carrier it in. She chose the fastest walker first, screaming a war cry and sinking the hatchet into its skull before reaching for her sheath and grabbing a knife, whirling to plunge it into the forehead of one of the teenage walkers.

Daryl fired his arrow at the woman in the nightgown, a clean shot through the head.

The girl didn't even bother to look at him, instead walking over, pulling her hatchet from the skull of the other walker and spitting on the ground- she had to put on a show, there were men behind her, men who might want to push her around since Ryder wasn't with her...

Daryl whistled, shocked. This girl was pretty badass. Rick stared, looking from her to Daryl, who shrugged.

She dropped the bloody hatchet into her holster and retrieved her arrow, putting it back into the quiver.

"A kid?" Rick asked, looking shocked.

"I have a name, you know." she turned around and looked at him, slightly annoyed.

"What is it?" Rick asked, looking interested.

"Jamie. Jamie Kessler." she nudged a walker with her foot, making sure it was dead, re-sheathing the bloody knife.

"I'm Rick Grimes. Don't worry. We aren't going to hurt you..."

His patronizing tone annoyed her, and she scoffed. "Of course you aren't, or you'll have an arrow up your ass before you can blink. Where is he?"

"Where's who?" Dale had walked up by now and looked at her, brown eyes honest and open, as always.

"My brother. Ryder. He had to have come here ahead of me."

Rick shook his head. "No one's here, you're the first person who wasn't a walker we've seen in days."

She stared, trying not to pale.

"Look, why don't you come on back to the house? We'll talk with Hershel and get this all sorted out..."

She took step back, studying Rick. He looked kind, he meant well... That was the problem. He'd try and keep her safe, out of the woods, and she wouldn't be able to search for Ryder...

"Ryder! Ryder!" she yelled his name and whirled, chestnut braid flying out behind her. She picked up her bow and sprinted for the woods. She had to lose these men before they managed to catch her...

"Kid! Wait, don't!" Rick yelled, but she was already running. She heard their footfalls in the brush behind her, the clattering, trees rushing by...

Then a firm hand clamped over her mouth and she was struggling, trying to scream...

"Kid! Hey kid, quit it! We're trying to help you!" The man with a shaved head yelled.

She continued to writhe in his grasp, fighting for all she was worth.

"Rick, help me get a hold on he- Owww!" she sunk her teeth int the hand that covered her mouth, refusing to let go and tightening her jaw as he tried to free himself, tasting warm blood and continuing to clamp down...

Shane kept screaming until finally his whole grip on her lessened. Rick was yelling over Shane's screaming for her to calm down and let go, but once Shane's grip on her stopped, she let his hand free, sprinting back into the trees.

"Damn! The bitch bit me!" Shane yelled, cradling his wounded hand.

"What did you expect? That kid don't know you from Adam- probably thinks we're rapists or somethin'." Daryl said calmly. He'd seen the desperation and fear in her eyes, and he knew she'd do what she anything to get away from them.

"Look, we can talk later- let's just catch the kid." Rick ordered, and they ran after her.

When it was clear they weren't getting any closer than twenty feet to her, Shane got frustrated. "Can't we just shoot her? Maybe a few warning shots?"

Rick's eyebrows furrowed. "And if you accidentally hit her? She's about Carl's age, you can't fire at a kid..."

She'd stopped running now, only because she heard movement, though none of the men had, even though they, too, had stopped.

"I say we let the kid alone. She knows where the farm is, she can get help if she needs it..." Daryl started. There was a roar as a walker burst out of the brush beside Rick, then...

She didn't think. She'd had her last arrow notched and she pulled back and fired, knowing the arrow was going to meet its target before it did and hearing the satisfying gush as it hit the walker between the eyes and it fell.

Everyone's eyes darted over to her, and she knew it was her last arrow and swallowed nervously. She needed it back. She could leave it and run, but then she'd have to fight walkers up close with her knife and hatchet, which would be risky if there were too many of them...

"She wants her arrow back. Right?" Daryl asked. She nodded hesitantly, unsure whether or not to trust him.

It was then Shane, who'd managed to sneak around her and get behind her, grabbed her.

She started to thrash and scream then, and Rick rushed forward.

"Daryl- come on!" Rick ordered as he struggled to help Shane subdue her. Daryl chuckled. "You got yourself into this, you can get yourself out..."

"Ryder! Ryder, help!" she screamed. Rick swore. "She's going to attract every walker in the forest."

"That's the idea, jackass." she said, eying him coldly before continuing to fight and scream. Daryl tried to ignore the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He was liking this kid more by the minute.

Finally, Rick slung her across his shoulder. "That's it. We're going back to our camp whether you like it or not, kid." he said firmly.

Shane had managed to get the hatchet and knife away from her, and all she could do was thrash and scream while an irritated Rick started back towards Hershel's.

Daryl picked up the bow from where she'd dropped it, as well as the arrow, adding it to his own arrow-carrier on the side of his crossbow. He'd give it back to her later...

"Lemme go! Ryder! Ryder!" she kept screaming all the way back to camp, as well as thrashing, because with the walkers around, she'd been taught to keep fighting until they were dead, or she was.

"He can't hear you, kid." Rick said through grit teeth, obviously annoyed.

"That doesn't mean I can't keep screaming it, jackass." she retorted. Lori and Carol both looked up from where they were hanging laundry, slightly shocked, as did Carl, who was sitting on a stump doing the work Lori had assigned him.

She felt her cheeks threaten to grow red at being carried like this. "Let me go you jackass! My brother's going to beat the shit outta you when he finds out..."

"For all you know, your brother could be dead." Shane said darkly. That was too much. She succeeded in breaking free from Rick's hold, falling to the dirt behind him. With something similar to a roar she lunged at Shane, who was completely unprepared. She bowled him over into the dirt and got on his chest, small, rough hands pounding his face.

"Ryder is ALIVE! Don't you DARE say he isn't! He wouldn't leave me!" Dale had tried to pull her off him by now, and Rick was, as well. Blood erupted from Shane's nose, and everyone stared as Dale succeeded in pulling her off him and holding her back.

"Kid! Kid, calm down! Think this through, kid, we're only trying to help..." he said, trying to reason with her. But tears of frustration and desperation started to fall then, and Rick seized her by the hand and dragged her into the house.

He fairly shoved her down in a chair at the dining room table and sat across from her, blue eyes hard and expression stern.

"Look, I know you aren't happy right now. And I know you probably think I'm the worst person in the world. But that is NOT acceptable behavior. Understood?"

"I'm not your daughter. Why the hell do you even care what happens to me? I want to go back to the woods." she said, not looking up.

"You'd be dead in a minute if we let you back into those woods. You have no one to take care of you..."

"Ryder takes care of me! We go in those woods all the time to scavenge, we just got separated last night! He's out there, and he's looking for me! I need to go back." she stood and started for the door, but Rick grabbed her wrist firmly, holding her back.

"No. There were way more walkers than normal out last night, I can't let you go back there..."

She broke free and ran out the door, onto the porch, when she ran into an African American and ended up flat on her back. She sprang to her feet and kept running, though, but a moment later she was tackled by someone huge...

"Don't even think about it, kid." Shane hissed. His nose was still bleeding and he looked angrily down at her. He pulled her roughly to her feet and dragged her towards the camp, sitting her next to Carl.

"Carl, don't let her get out of sight." he ordered, before storming into the house.

"What's wrong?" Carl asked, concerned at her tears. He hadn't seen a girl cry like that since they'd lost Sophia...

She just shook her head, tears streaming down her face. She was never going to find Ryder. She looked in the distance- up the hill- she saw what looked like a hickory tree and got to her feet, striding towards it.

"Hey! Shane said not to let you out of my sight!" Carl protested, but she ignored him and kept walking.

She ran her hands over the rough bark and let the tears fall onto the dirt at the base of the tree, pressing her forehead against it... She must've stayed like that for a half hour before finally looking up. When she did she saw she was by a fire pit with logs around it, and a tall stone column...

Daryl sat on the log, working intently on making arrows. She noticed her bow sitting next to his, leaning against the stone column, within easy reach, and took her place on the log opposite him, studying the ground.

Wordlessly, Daryl kicked a stick as big around as a nickel towards her, and she miraculously found a knife sticking in the log next to her. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve before picking up the knife- she could throw it at Daryl, she'd never killed a walker by throwing a knife before, she wasn't that accurate, but she'd be able to wound him and slow him down while she made a break for it...

She'd been studying the knife in her hand as she considered this, and she looked up to see Daryl watching her. He'd no doubt seen all the emotions play out on her face, knew what she was planning, and she felt a pang of regret. He'd trusted her by giving her the knife, at least, and she settled down to making the tips sharp and peeling the bark from the sticks to make arrow shafts.

She worked in silence until Rick came out, not looking at him. She and Daryl hardly met eyes while she worked. Rick came over and crouched beside her. "I know you're upset. But there are too many walkers around lately for us to just let you go back out there. If Ryder is still out there, he'll come and find you here..."

"I want my bow." she motioned to the compound bow sitting next to Daryl's crossbow.

Daryl handed it to her, though Rick gave a disapproving look.

"That's a nice bow. Where'd you get it?" Daryl asked quietly.

"Tenth Birthday a couple of years ago. My Dad..." she looked away and blinked furiously.

Daryl nodded. "You're gonna need more arrows for it. Better get to work."

And she did, grateful to be busy doing something.

Rick stood and left quietly, leaving them alone, once again, to work. By four in the afternoon, she'd filled her quiver and she stood, walking some distance away. She found a tree with low branches and swung up into it, looking out over the horizon. Ryder would come out of those woods soon to find her, she was convinced. Or, rather, she was hoping.

Rick called everyone to camp that night.

"Jamie will be staying with us for a bit until her brother can find her..."

She sat on the log, as far away from everyone as possible, arms crossed over her chest, staring out at the tree line.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Daryl sat down next to her.

"You like kidneys?" he asked. She realized he had a few dead squirrels and nodded. He handed her two of them and she tore into them, blood running down her chin. It tasted sweet, though, she and her family had always eaten the organs of what they killed hunting...

"You want the heart?" Daryl asked. She nodded, and he gave it to her. She held it firmly despite the blood making it slippery and sunk her teeth into it, pulling and chewing...

She looked up to see everyone staring at her. Lori had her hand to her mouth, looking horrified, Carl was looking bug-eyed, and everyone else, too, was staring...

"What?" Daryl asked, daring anyone to say something derogatory as blood dripped down her chin. She kept eating.

"Walkers eat like that." Shane muttered.

"Fuck off, Shane. Just cuz you're too pussy to eat the innards, don't mean we can't." he slit open a fresh squirrel and cut out a kidney, tearing a piece off it with his teeth before eating it.

She noticed the blood pooling in the squirrel's abdominal cavity and dipped her fingers in it, drawing two lines under each eye.

Daryl looked at her. "What? That the closest you have to makeup nowadays? "

She laughed.

They all liked the sound of laughter, it'd been awhile since they'd heard it, and it was... refreshing.

"Jamie- where do you want to sleep? You can be in the tent with Lori and Carl and I..."

Her stone cold glare stopped him in his tracks.

"I sleep in trees." she said.

"In trees?" Rick asked, looking confused.

"What else do you do during the night? Can't sleep on the ground without being walker bait, so Ryder and I would climb the trees and sleep in them."

"There's no way you'll be safe in a tree, let alone sleep up there." Lori said, looking at her seriously.

She shrugged. She was too tired to argue, but when it came time to settle down for the night she plodded off in the direction of the maple she'd climbed earlier, the one next to Daryl's camp, swinging up into the branches. When she was ten or so feet up, she found where three branches went nearly vertical and swung her foot up, straddling one and leaning back against the other. She looked at the tree line one last time, hoping to see Ryder, before letting sleep take her away.


	2. In the Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So- Jamie falls asleep in a tree and has some conflicts with members of the group.

"The kid actually did it." Rick said, looking up at the tree in the morning, impressed. Shane was scowling up at her- he still didn't like her.

"I managed to fall asleep in a few trees myself when I was her age..." Daryl said, coming up behind them.

"Seems like you know a lot about her." Rick said calmly.

Daryl shrugged. "When you grow up country, we're all the same..." he shouldered his crossbow, heading toward the tree line.

"Where are you going?" Rick asked.

"To look for this Ryder kid."

"Just what we need- another kid who needs taking care of." Shane muttered .

"She managed to drop you yesterday, Shane, as in, get on top of you and beat you. I think she needs the least taking care of out of everyone." Rick pointed out.

"Yeah, well she's certainly sleeping in. Let's wake her up." Shane said, bending down to pick up a rock.

"Look- she just lost her brother in the woods. She fought off walkers yesterday. She's exhausted. Let the kid sleep." Rick's hand landed firmly on Shane's arm, and he dropped the rock, looking annoyed. "Fine. But don't like having another kid here, It's hard enough with just Carl."

"Noted. But it's not your decision. Now go." Rick said. Shane slunk off, leaving him to look at her. She looked so... childlike up there. She couldn't be much older than Carl, but while she slept, Rick could almost imagine she was just a normal kid, climbing a tree like she should be...

He walked away. He'd love to reminisce all day, but he had people to take care of and things to do.

* * *

She woke up in the tree when something hit her. She blinked sleepily- she'd overslept a ton, Ryder normally woke her up a dawn...

Something hard hit her shoulder. "Ow! Okay, I get it, Ryder..." she said sleepily, climbing down.

She jumped to the ground and saw it wasn't Ryder who'd woken her, but Carl.

"Who's Ryder?" Carl asked, looking at her curiously.

"My brother. He's coming for me soon. Where's that guy?" she asked. She remembered his image from the other day, but not the name...

"Daryl? He went out looking for your brother." Carl said. "Anyways, my mom told me to wake you up. She needs help with the laundry."

"Sorry, but no. I don't DO laundry. I'm going to find Ryder." She remembered her bow at the top of the hill, still sitting by Daryl's fire pit, probably...

"You aren't supposed to leave camp." Carl said.

"I don't really care." she replied.

"Hey! You aren't supposed to go!" Carl seized her wrist and pulled her back towards camp. "Are you stupid or something?"

"You're the stupid one!" she retorted. "My brother is missing- I'm going to find him!"

"Daryl already is. Just shut up and quick fighting all of us- we're trying to help you." Carl said, frustrated.

She pulled her arm from his grasp and sighed, stalking over to Lori.

Lori handed her a sack of clothes. "Mind washing?"

She wordlessly started scrubbing, feeling the rage boil within her as she did so. She wished Ryder would hurry up and come already, but he hadn't, not yet...

"How was your sleep in the tree? Ready to settle down in a tent yet?" Lori asked, a glint in her eye. So she expected she was just going to give up and come into a tent, thought she was uncomfortable sleeping in trees...

"No. You folks are walker bait down here. You can force me to stay in this camp, but I will NEVER be one of you." she turned back to scrubbing furiously. Her hands stung from the homemade soap, but she scrubbed anyways. It gave her a way to get the rage out.

"Andrea! Will you come help with the laundry?" Lori called.

"Sorry, I'm on watch." Andrea replied.

"Slacker." Lori muttered under her breath, but Jamie heard it. She scowled at the shirt she was washing. Andrea was busy actually doing something IMPORTANT, like keeping watch and here Lori was complaining about laundry.

"Carl, go get some more clothespins." Lori ordered. She and Carol were busy handing the wrung out clothes to dry on the line.

"Walker!" Carol yelled. She screamed as it fell on top of her, it'd come out from behind the barn, not the woods, and frightened them all...

An inhuman bubbling sound came from the creature's mouth as it gnashed it's teeth, struggling to bite and scratch her, but Carol held it at bay, arms stiff to keep it from scratching and biting her...

"Rick! Rick!" Lori yelled.

Jamie didn't think, rather, she moved. She sunk the toe of her boot into the walker's ribs like she was punting a football, and it rolled off of Carol, onto its back...

Daryl had left her hatched and knife with her, and she pulled out the hatchet now, driving it into the forehead. There was the rank odor of brains and a sickening squish, but she didn't stop. She drove the hatchet in over and over, until the forehead and eyes were unrecognizable.

"Lori! Is everyone alright!?," Rick yelled. Jamie stood, panting, over the corpse.

"Barely. Why the hell are you playing house when there's a war on your hands.?" Jamie asked, staring at Lori.

"Someone has to do the housework..." Lori started.

"No. Someone has to keep your asses alive. You think Andrea's a slacker because she works with the men to defend camp. I say she's the only one here with any balls. Who's going to protect you when your men are gone?"

"If Andrea was doing such a good thing defending camp, how come that walker got here?" Lori asked, defensive.

"It came from behind the barn. Andrea's doing the smart thing in watching the tree line for a herd of walkers. I sure as hell wouldn't be doing laundry in an apocalypse." Jamie spit on the walker's dead body.

"Don't you talk back to me..." Lori said, nostrils flaring. Her hands had clenched into fists.

"You had a gun in your pocket. Why didn't you use it instead of calling for Rick? Now isn't the time to play damsel in distress. Either you grow a pair and use that gun or someday you'll wish you had."

"I said don't talk back to me!" Lori said, backhanding her. She hit the dirt in a rush, and Rick stared. Jamie glared at her, getting to her feet.

"Maybe you're still stuck in fantasy land, so I'll give it to you straight. Just because the men are here doesn't mean they're supposed to be your protectors. If you see a walker, you yell for help AS you shoot it. Not just stand there looking horrified. And screw doing housework." she kicked the washtub over, spilling all the water.

"Someone needs to cook, yeah. But laundry? I washed my clothes once every two or three weeks when Ryder and I were together. Andrea isn't burdening you by doing a man's job. She's doing you a favor. You need to shut the hell up. Quit complaining about laundry. It's an apocalypse, people are putting their lives on the line for you. Get your priorities straight."

And she was gone, storming off towards where Daryl had been camped. She sat down on the log and sighed, looking out towards the tree line. She wished she could go to the woods and look for Ryder herself- it was clear the men here were set on keeping everyone safe, but Lori- she needed an attitude adjustment.

She noticed Daryl had pinned some cooked squirrel to the log she'd been sitting on yesterday with a knife and smiled slightly. She was starving, and it was clear Daryl had expected her to wander up to his camp.

She tore into it, feeling the juice of the meat run down her chin. The meat was a little bloody, too, just how she liked it. Maybe not everyone here was crazy.

* * *

"Tell me what you really think, Rick." Lori demanded, voice shaking. They'd gone away from the others to talk. Rick sighed.

"Fine, I think Andrea is more valuable as a watchman than as a housewife. And I think we need to work on getting the women more used to using guns."

"So you think she's right?" Lori asked.

"Yes. I know she seems rough, disrespectful, callous, even... but she saved Carol's life just now. She's angry at me for making her stay here and not letting her go look for her brother. But the walkers, there's more than usual, and there's no way I'm going to send a child back into that..."

"She isn't a child. She doesn't act like it, at least..." Lori said, shooting a glance over at the girl. She was up by Daryl's camp, now, sitting on a log.

"Lori. Her parents... she's had to be like that to survive. I mean, do you see any other children who've survived that long without parents?"

"No. No, you're right. But... she..."

"I know. It's weird for me too, having a girl who can made survival decisions and take down a walker like that. She's had to grow up fast. I'll talk to her about respect tonight, don't worry..."

"Don't worry. Like that's possible." Lori said bitterly before turning on heel and walking off to join Carol.

* * *

Daryl came into camp around four, unsuccessful. Jamie had found the squirrel hides in need of scraping and started to scrape them.

"Did you find him?" she asked, looking up anxiously.

"Nope. Couldn't even find a trail. I'm sorry, kid. How was the day in camp?"

She sighed. "That Lori bitch has some problems. She called Andrea a slacker because she was on watch duty instead of doing laundry and then a walker attacked Carol and she screamed for Rick-"

"A walker got Carol?" Daryl asked, sounding alarmed.

"I killed it before it could do any damage. Shook her up, though."

"Carol is okay?" Daryl asked once again, and she realized Carol must be special to him.

"Yes. Carol is fine. But I was angry with Lori because she had a gun and could've just shot the thing, but she just stood there like a scared bitch and screamed for Rick. So after I killed the Walker I yelled at her..."

"What happened to your face?" Daryl asked, noticing a bruise forming on her cheek.

She studied the ground and was silent.

"Lori did that, didn't she?"

She nodded.

"What did you say to her?" Daryl asked.

"I said she needs to quit complaining about laundry and stop playing damsel in distress and pull out a gun and shoot when she sees a damn walker..."

"You yelled?" Daryl asked.

She studied the ground again, seeming ashamed. "Yes."

He grabbed her by the collar.

"Hey! Daryl, I'm sorry! Where are we going!?" she asked, her voice taking on a hint of fear. She barely knew Daryl, what if he hurt her?

"To see Lori." Daryl grumbled.

The group had gathered around the fire pit in the dusk- it was summer, so there was no fire, and Rick was speaking.

"Rick, this'll have to wait a minute." Daryl said, and Rick promptly stopped speaking. Daryl dragged Jamie over so she was in front of Lori.

"Jamie has something she wants to say to you." Daryl said, letting go of her collar. Jamie studied the ground. "I'm sorry." she muttered.

"For what?" Daryl asked.

"For yelling at you. I... I still believe what I said... but I shouldn't have told you it that way."

Lori looked over at Rick, slightly surprised. She'd never expected this from someone as wild and quick-tempered as Jamie.

"Lori. It'd mean a lot to her if you forgave her." Daryl grunted.

Lori nodded. "Of course..." she said, slightly shocked.

"Thank you." Jamie still hadn't looked up from the ground.

Daryl looked at her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Get back to camp. I'll be there in a minute."

She nodded, hurrying away.

Everyone stared and the firelight danced.

"You okay?" Daryl asked, addressing Carol. She nodded, rubbing her upper arms. "Jamie killed it before it could hurt me."

"Daryl, we need to talk- that girl- she's not just a kid. She's able to make split second decisions. I watched her kill that walker today before I could even draw my gun. She kicked it like it was nothing and kept hitting it with the hatchet..." Rick said.

Daryl shrugged. "So? Ain't nothing wrong with being fast on your feet."

"Be that as it is, Daryl, she's still a kid- you need to keep an eye on her."

"What do you think been doin', Rick? Sheesh- have a little faith."

Just then there was a scream.


	3. Burrito For Walkers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Jamie get to know eachother better, since she sleeps in the tree in his camp on the hill, and they start to enjoy eachother's company a bit more.

Daryl whirled. "Jamie!" he yelled, grabbing his crossbow and taking off into the night.

There was another scream, rather, a roar, and they all approached to see Jamie stab a walker in the forehead while another came up behind her. She didn't flinch, shoving it away and snarling as she plunged the knife into it's skull...

"Jamie!" Daryl ran forward. "You alright?" he asked anxiously.

"I- yeah. Fine. Just these two, it looks like..."

"Why the hell do you do that?" Shane asked.

"Do what?" she asked. There was blood spattered on her face, and she brushed her hair back, looking confused.

"Scream while you fight them. Snarl at them- I swear, you hissed at them."

Jamie brushed a lock of hair from her face and smiled. "That? Cause they think they're so damn scary- I figure I can be just as terrifying as they are. Makes me feel braver when I do that. Rick, you guys should sleep in the trees tonight..." she said, giving him a worried look.

"Thanks, Jamie, but we'll be fine." Rick said. She was only half the way towards the hill where Daryl had set up camp, and Daryl nodded to Rick.

"We'll be fine. Come on, kid." he put his arm around her and led her towards camp.

She climbed into the tree, and Daryl took one last look around before settling down on the ground like he always did.

He was almost asleep when he heard it. Sniffling, crying, almost.

"Jamie? That you?" he asked sleepily.

He shined a flashlight up to see her in tears. "Come on kid, don't cry. Look, I didn't mean to, whatever it is... Why're you crying?"

"You're gonna die." Jamie said.

"What? Kid, that's ridiculous..."

"No. It's true. You're not in a tree, in that sleeping bag you're like a freaking burrito for walkers. And you're nice to me. I can't let them get you."

Daryl sighed. "You really think it's safer in the trees, don't you?"

She nodded, sniffing. "Ryder and I were always safe in the trees..."

"You really want me to come up there?" Daryl asked.

She nodded, and Daryl sighed. He'd climbed trees before and he did it now, hauling himself up into the branches until he was next to Jamie.

"Hell, I haven't done this since I was a kid." he admitted.

"So? It's safe in the trees, and it's easier to to move up here." she said. "Plus- walkers can't climb trees." her voice faded out at the end, she was interrupted by a huge yawn.

"Yeah, well, sleeping bags are useless in trees." Daryl grumbled, finding his place in the tree exceedingly uncomfortable. He was straddling a large branch that forked up sharply, and was trying to find the right position to lay in. He looked over at Jamie, slightly concerned she hadn't replied somehow. His expression softened somewhat when he realized she was asleep, leaning back against the tree trunk...

He considered climbing back down and getting into his sleeping bag, but decided against it when he realized if Jamie woke up and he wasn't in the tree she'd probably start screaming, thinking he was dead, and attract every walker in the woods. He sighed, turning around so he was facing the trunk of the tree and leaning back against the forked branch, crossing his arms over his chest. It was still uncomfortable, he'd much rather be back in his sleeping bag...

"Don't be such a pussy. If some little girl can do it, so can you." he muttered, before he, too, drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Daryl's missing!" Carol ran into camp the next morning, frantic. "I went to see if Jamie needed anything and he- they- they were both gone!"

"Where's Rick?" Lori asked.

"He and Shane are out helping Hershel." Glenn said, looking worried. Suddenly Lori saw the truth in what Jamie had said about not depending on the men.

"Someone needs to FIND them." Carol said, tears threatening to fall. She'd just lost Sofia, she wouldn't loose Daryl and the other girl, too...

"I'll go." Andrea shouldered her gun. "Daryl probably just went squirrel hunting or something." and she was gone.

A few minutes later, Andrea smiled as she looked up in the tree. It was cute, almost, Daryl and Jamie both asleep up there. She savored the cuteness of the moment- if she told the others, Daryl would never live this down.

Finally, she picked up a rock. "Daryl!" she tossed it at him, and he started awake. "What? Oh- you. Whatd'ya want, blondie?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Have a good sleep?" Andrea asked. "Too afraid of walkers to stay on the ground?" she teased, smiling at the last part.

"Jamie asked me to. She thought we were all goners, sleeping on the ground after she killed those walkers last night. She was crying and said my sleeping bag would make me look like a big ol' burrito for the walkers and I went up there to shut her up." Daryl lied. Andrea, too, knew it was a lie, but didn't question it. Men always had to feel they maintained their macho. But still, they both knew he hadn't done it to shut her up- he'd done it because he cared.

"A burrito, huh? Maybe I should start calling you that." Andrea smiled. "You should go see Carol. She saw you and Jamie weren't in our camp and panicked- she's worried about you."

"Right. I'll do that." Daryl jumped down to the ground, stretching. His back popped, and Andrea winced. Daryl grabbed his crossbow before heading towards the camp everyone else used.

"Hey. You sure you should leave her here?" Andrea said, using her head to motion towards Jamie.

Daryl scoffed. "The kid can kick a walker's ass any day. Besides, she's in a tree. She'll be alright for a few minutes." and he was gone, heading towards the camp to reassure Carol. Andrea rolled her eyes. Despite what Daryl had done last night, making Jamie apologize, she doubted he was the father type. But then again- Jamie didn't act like somebody's daughter, either.

* * *

Jamie looked around, seeing it was daylight and Daryl was gone. She panicked for a moment- her greatest fear was being left alone- but reason quickly pervaded her thoughts. She nimbly climbed down and jumped to the ground, looking around. Bootprints. Fresh ones in the dirt, they couldn't be more than a few minutes old. And they were Daryl's. She sighed with relief. He was okay. And he was with someone with smaller boots, probably a girl from camp.

She sighed, stretching. Maybe Ryder would come today. She certainly didn't want to work with Lori, not after yesterday. She didn't harbor any bad feelings, but she was afraid Lori might. Bitches at school always did.

She walked the trail to camp, smiling as a bird landed in the tree. The birds could fly away- lucky birds- Walkers couldn't catch them.

"Morning." Glenn nodded to her as she entered camp.

"Morning. Good to see you're alive."

Glenn laughed. "Thanks, I guess. How was the tree?"

"Safe. You guys should seriously consider..."

"I sleep in the RV, Jamie, I'm safe." Glenn assured her.

She nodded. "Glad to hear it." she said, before sitting down beside him on the log. Breakfast was some eggs Hershel had given them from the chickens and some lumpy oatmeal, but Jamie wasn't complaining. It was the most food she'd had in awhile, and she ate what Lori gave her, thanking her quietly before eating. She knew better than to ask for more. Resources were so scarce thee days it was a miracle Rick was letting her stay at all. It was only temporary, she reminded herself, Ryder would need a few days to find her...

"Jamie." Daryl interrupted her thoughts. "You wanna go hunting?"

"Hell yes." she said, grinning.

"Watch your mouth." Daryl said seriously, before ruffling her hair slightly. "And go get your bow."

She took off toward Daryl's camp, where she'd left it, grinning.

"Can I go?" Carl asked.

"Carl, no. You stay by the house." Lori said firmly.

"How come Jamie gets to go?" Carl asked, bordering on whining. He wanted to do something useful...

"Jamie shouldn't be going." Lori said. "But she doesn't have parents to look after her and tell her no."

Daryl remained silent through all of this. He knew he could take good enough care of Jamie, Lori had hardly seen the kid in action.

"I wish I had no parents." Carl muttered.

Lori gasped.

"I'd kill to have mine back." Jamie said. She'd just come back. "You take it all for granted- You have parents, a group, people who give a damn. And it looks like you've got a sibling on the way." she nodded towards Lori, who was just barely showing.

"I watched my parents die. My brother is missing, and I don't know if I'll ever see him again. If I could trade places with you, I'd do it in a heartbeat. You're wasting your time fighting with your parents. You won't have them forever. Love them while you can. Daryl- you ready to go?" she asked.

"Yeah." Daryl nodded.

"Be safe." Carol said, a pleading note in her voice.

"We will. you've hunted before, Jamie?" Daryl asked, as they struck out towards the tree line.

"You think I just carry this around for looks?" she asked, lifting the compound bow slightly.

"Good point. how good a shot are you?"

"Did you forget how I nailed this walker 'tween the eyes?" she asked.

Daryl nodded. "What's the draw-weight on that bow?"

"Fifty pounds."

"Enough to kill. You see a walker you tell me, alright? What about the knife? If we run out of arrows, you'll need the knife." Daryl said.

"I'm alright at stabbing."

"Can you throw it?" Daryl asked.

"Not well." she admitted.

"Stick to stabbing then." she nodded."Stay by me." Daryl ordered. "And be quiet."

She looked away, blinking. "You sound like my dad..." she whispered, and Daryl didn't know what to say. They plodded on in silence.

Soon the disrupted chatters if squirrels and birds died away, and they were surrounded by the silence of the woods. Jamie breathed it in. Her father had taught her that when the forest finally quieted like this, it meant they were no longer a disturbance to the wild animals. They were just another animal in the forest, now.

Daryl watched her tread silently, wondering what was going through her head. Ryder was the only family she had, it was clear, and now even he might be gone. To suffer such loses at her age would be traumatic enough, but she didn't even have a good childhood to fall back on. All the good memories were corrupted by the death of her family, no doubt. Not like he'd had a good childhood, either, but at least he hadn't had to watch his family be slaughtered.

There was a noise in the brush and she looked over at him. He nodded, and she looked back. A fat gray squirrel sat on the tree twenty feet in front of her. She pulled back and released. The squirrel was dead instantly, pinned to the tree by the deadly arrow that had gone through its skull. It flopped around for a minute, nerves reacting, getting rid of the energy produced by the last sparks of life.

Daryl moved forward, pulling it free and tying a knot around its tail- he had a line he used for carrying his game.

Not ten minutes later, they heard the moaning. Daryl pointed. There, stuck in the mud, was a walker. She raised her bow, but Daryl angled it downward, shaking his head. His eyes fell on her sheath and he made a throwing motion, and she nodded, unsheathing her knife. She looked to him for what to do next.

He positioned her hand around it so she held the blade gently, sharp edge away from her, pulling his own knife and pantomiming throwing it, pulling his arm back and flicking the wrist. She hesitated. It looked hard. How to know how much force to apply and how to control it...

Daryl nudged her and she took a breath, closing her eyes and throwing.

The walker roared and she opened her eyes, surprised to have hit in in the chest. It'd been a lucky shot, but Daryl smiled at her.

Just then the walker pulled a leg free from the mud.

She sprang backwards in surprise, dropping her bow and stumbling, falling down a small cliff and taking a fifteen foot plunge into a ravine.

"Jamie!" Daryl yelled and she scrambled to her feet. She was beat up, yes, but not broken, and she looked around, frantically praying there were no walkers...

She'd left her hatchet back in camp, but her quiver, remarkably, was intact.

"Daryl! Kill the walker!" she yelled. Her worst fear would be the walker getting free and killing Daryl while he tried to help her.

There was the FWING! Of an arrow leaving the crossbow, and Daryl returned to the edge of the cliff. "Climb up here!"

She knew she should, this part of the ravine was a dead-end, only going deeper into the rocks... Brush rustled to the right, and from under an overhang, a walker emerged, heading towards her...


	4. Maybe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group begins to speculate about Daryl, and if he's really let somebody into his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliffie, man, do I love writing this! Anyways, I would REALLY love some reviews! Thanks for all the support, though, and please gimme any ideas or suggestions you have!

"Daryl!" she said, voice rising with panic.

"Climb, Jamie, climb!" he ordered. "Forget the walker!"

"Shoot it!"

"I can't get a shot! The overhang is in the way!"

She raced over to the side of the ravine Daryl was on, finding hand and footholds and starting to climb. The overhang extended all the way over to near where she was, but she tried not to focus on the moaning and milky eyes approaching her from the darkness.

Ten feet up, her hand-hold broke and she plunged back down.

"Jamie!" Daryl yelled. The walker was feet from her, now.

She was dazed from her fall and in pain.

Urgency and fear crept into Daryl's voice.

"Jamie! Jamie, get up! Get up NOW!"

The walker fell forward, intending to land on its prey, but she rolled to the side at the last second.

"Move!" Daryl ordered. She got to her feet and stumbled backwards as the walker clawed at her, barely dodging. Her back was against the wall of the ravine, now, the walker was finding its footing, there was no where to go...

"Kill it, Jamie! Kill it! You have one chance! Come on kid! Come on!" Daryl yelled. She reached into her quiver, grabbing an arrow. The walker stumbled forward and she darted under the overhang, managing to scrape by it before lunging out from behind, jamming the arrow into its head.

It fell, but she didn't stop, plunging the arrow in again and again, screaming as she did, the adrenalin coursing through her.

She stood, dazed, dropping the bloody arrow back into her quiver and clawing her way up the wall. Daryl grabbed her arms and pulled her up, and she caught her breath, gasping.

"Did it get you? Did it scratch you?" Daryl demanded.

She shook her head, burying her head in his chest. He smelled like pine and motor oil, just like her father had... And then she was clinging to him, shaking violently from fear, and Daryl clung to her as well.

"It's alright, kid, it's alright..." he assured her. Finally, she stopped trembling. "You wanna go back?" he asked.

She shook her head. "One squirrel won't feed everyone tonight." she said simply. Daryl trooped over and pulled the knife she'd thrown from the carcass of the walker.

"Not a bad throw. We just have to work on your aim." he said, handing her he knife back. "You ready to go?"

She nodded, and the plodded on.

It was around dinner time when it happened.

They both stopped dead when it stepped out in front of them. It was a fawn, but it was summer now, and despite the spotted coat, it had at least a good seventy pounds of meat on it.

Daryl nudged her, but she shook her head, shaking. There was no way she'd be able to make a shot, and with seventy pounds of meat depending on it...

"Go. I'll fire right after you do." Daryl whispered. She nodded, taking a breath and pulling back. She found it in her sights and released. Daryl's arrow never left the bow, but the deer fell to the ground.

She stared at him. "You said..."

"No use firing two arrows. I knew you could kill it with one." Daryl said calmly.

He walked forward, handing her the arrow he'd removed and slinging the deer over his shoulder. "Let's get back to camp."

And they did, walking in filled with pride as they brought the deer over.

"Look at that..." Dale said, beaming.

"How'd you get it, Daryl?" Shane asked.

"I didn't. Jamie did." Daryl said.

Carol rushed over. "What happened to her?" she asked, looking shocked. It was then she realized her arms and hands were torn up from the rocks in the ravine and she had a busted lip.

"She fell in a ravine." Daryl said. "Come on. We gotta gut this thing." They hadn't field dressed it because they'd wanted to save the organs and other things the considered delicacies, and Jamie trotted over to the side, knife ready, carefully slicing below the ribcage.

"Hell yeah." Daryl grinned, as did she.

"So, I see you had a rough day." Rick said over the fire, lifting his chin towards Jamie. She looked up from where she'd been tearing into her piece of venison, shrugging.

"You could say that. Especially after she fell into the ravine and a walker had her cornered." Daryl said.

Everyone stared.

"You're bluffing." Carl said.

"Look at her. Could she get that tore up from NOT falling into a ravine?" Daryl asked. Hershel had come out to clean up some of her cuts and bandage the rest, and Carl realized he was telling the truth.

"What did you do?" Rick asked, and Jamie realized all eyes were on her.

"Daryl was too busy yelling at me to shoot the damn thing and I didn't have my knife, so stabbed it through the head with an arrow."

"I'm telling you, this kid is a fucking legend in the making." Daryl said, slapping her on the back. "Pure redneck."

Jamie shrugged. "If you think that was badass, wait until you meet my brother Ryder..."

There was what seemed to be a small explosion in the pot they'd had boiling over the fire.

"It's done." Daryl said, grabbing a stick and stabbing one of the organs he'd been boiling. "Saved you the heart, since you killed it..."

"She doesn't have the balls." Shane scoffed, looking at the monstrosity on a stick. There was no way she'd be able to stomach that.

Jamie shot him a cold glare before taking the stick from Daryl. She'd eaten deer heart all the time as a kid.

"Eat it, eat it, eat it..." Carl started chanting, and Rick shook his head, chuckling. He really hoped the kid wouldn't...

There was a loud sound as she tore into it like a walker, pulling a piece from it and chewing, swallowing, before going for another mouthful.

"Eww..." Carl wrinkled his nose, and Jamie looked up. "It's good." she muttered around a mouthful of deer. "I grew up eating this stuff."

Daryl nodded his approval at her silently. She smiled, and there was a huge sucking noise as she tore another bite out of the deer heart, finishing eating one cavity. Rick winced and she laughed.

"Finish that up. We gotta get back to camp." Daryl said. "Think you can eat and walk?"

She nodded and they stood, heading for Daryl's camp.

"G'night." Jamie mumbled around a mouthful of deer.

"Goodnight." Rick called.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Daryl's adopted the kid." Andrea said, once they were out of earshot.

"Who says he hasn't? They're both rednecks, they seem to care for each other..." Dale pointed out.

"And he took her hunting. He NEVER takes anyone hunting." Glenn said.

"Maybe he's not such a loner after all." Rick speculated.


	5. Finding Ryder

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They find Ryder, Jamie's older brother.

She woke up during daylight to find Daryl still asleep in the tree. She peered out at the tree line, hoping...

She nearly fell out of the tree. He was there, Ryder was heading towards camp...

"Ryder!" she yelled, jumping down. She wanted to be the first to greet him, the first to hug him...

"Ryder!" she was running towards him now, grinning. Rick stood from where he'd been tending the fire in their camp, watching her. Maybe there's be a joyous reunion- that was something that hardly ever happened these days.

"Ryder!" she was feet from him when she noticed it, he wasn't walking, he was stumbling... There was a bite wound on his shoulder.

She tried to move backwards and fell, scrambling backwards on her backside in the dirt. Her world was crashing down around her, and she started to scream.

"Jamie!" Rick realized it then and started racing towards them. Everyone had heard the screaming and raced forward.

"Jamie!" she stumbled back, almost on her feet, and fell. Daryl was there a moment later, grabbing her and pulling her back...

"Ryder..." she sobbed his name. Daryl held her against him, watching the walker that had been her brother moan and stumble towards them.

"Jamie? Jamie. We have to shoot him." Rick said. She was sobbing into Daryl's chest now, not looking.

"Wait. Lemme get her out of here. She doesn't need to see it."Daryl said, gathering her into his arms. She squeezed her head into the nook between his head and shoulder and cried, cried for all she was worth.

"Hurry." Rick said. Daryl was running towards camp with her in his arms, then.

The shot rang out and she screamed. It was muffled into Daryl's shoulder, but the anguish was in the air. Everyone could feel it, it was like when they'd found Sophia in the barn...

"Shh. Shh. It's gonna be alright, Jamie." he promised, though he didn't know that.

"He was all... all I had left." she muttered into his shoulder.

"You got me, if that counts." Daryl said quietly, stroking her hair.

"But Ryder... I should've been there! I should've found him." she cried, looking so upset.

"You did find him."

"I should've been the one to shoot him." and she kept sobbing. Daryl just rubbed her back. No words would soothe her, nothing would stop the pain. He felt it every day for Merle, though it wasn't as strong anymore.

"It'll be alright, Jamie." he said. "Do you want to do anything?" he set her down. The were on his hill now, by his camp.

"No. Nothing. Don't let any of the others near me."

"You want to be alone?"

She shook her head, suddenly grabbing his arm. "No! No, don't leave me, please don't leave me..." she pleaded, and Daryl saw the fear in her eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, kid..." he promised, sitting beside her. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, rocking back and forth and crying quietly.

She looked down the hill and cried harder- she could clearly see Andrea, Glenn, and Maggie digging under the pines, digging a grave...

"How old was he?" Daryl asked.

"Sixteen. He was sixteen..." he voice trailed off and more tears cascaded down her cheeks.

"I... I know it's not much comfort... but I... I lost my brother, too..." Daryl said. "At least, think I did. He had to cut his hand off to escape some walkers, and let's face it- one hand isn't much good out here."

She nodded, taking a shaking breath. "I should've been there. I should've been with him..."

"You had no control over that. He knows that. That wasn't him- it was his body, but it wasn't your brother."

"He's dead. He... he left me here in this goddamn world!" she had fallen onto her side, now, and she curled into the fetal position, sobbing.

Daryl looked at her. Everything was written on her face, she was a kid, just a kid...

"It's gonna be okay." he pulled her into his lap and rubbed her back. He could remember his mother dong this for him, before she died, remembered it all...

His father had beaten the shit out of him and his mother hadn't been able to get him to stop. He'd been five, but he remembered Finally, his father had passed out, stone drunk, and his mother had wiped the blood from his face and sat down n the worn recliner they'd gotten from the salvation army.

"Shh, Daryl, baby, it'll be okay." she'd whispered. She'd held him and rubbed his back and let him cry and whimper. He'd nuzzled his head against her, finally, exhausted, and drifted off to sleep, aching but feeling safer than he'd ever been.

"Jamie. Shh, Jamie, it'll be alright, kid..."

"Everyone I love dies!" she choked out. "Everyone leaves me!"

"I know. But I'm not going anywhere. That has to count for something, right?"

She nodded, though she still looked shaken.

"Jamie- it's time." Rick said. She nodded, staggering down the hill, the shock and disbelief still clearly written on her face.

She saw the body and walked over, falling to her knees beside what had once been her brother. She stroked his hair, unaware that blood had been trickling out from the bullet hole, and soon covered her hands in blood. She stared into his milky white, lifeless eyes... The last of her family, gone. She buried her head in his chest and wept.

Andrea and the others all looked on from about ten feet away, giving her time to grieve. Andrea's sad eyes saw into the depths of her soul, how much pain she was in.

Dale looked upset. "We have to help her."

"We're doing what we can already, taking her in." Rick pointed out. "She'll have to fight her own emotional battle. We're already sparing food and water for her..."

"Don't. I'll hunt for whatever she eats, she won't take any away from the group." Daryl said. He wanted to ensure there were no objections to her being there.

Rick nodded. "We need to bury him. Daryl, can you get her away from him?"

"Yeah." Daryl said. He looked over at the girl. Her head was still buried in his brother's chest, body shaking with sobs.

"Then do it." Shane said gruffly. He had no idea how to deal with all the emotion...

"I could do it. But I don't want to." Daryl retorted. "That boy was all she had. The last of her family. She needs more than five minutes to say goodbye."

Rick nodded. "We'll give her twenty minutes. Everyone just... hang tight."

Daryl sat on a rock twenty feet away, giving her distance but watching. She lifted her head every now and then to look at his face, at the ashen gray skin and dull, lifeless eyes...

She reached up, affectionately trailing her knuckles across his cheek. She whispered words in his ear, and Daryl made no attempt to read her lips. She needed time to say the things she hadn't had time to say.

The boy looked like her, too, that was the hard thing. He had longer hair- the same chestnut color, a firm build, and wore some ripped up jeans like Jamie's and a dirty denim jacket over a blood-stained white t-shirt.

Finally, Rick looked over at him. "Daryl. It's time." Daryl nodded, standing and making his way over to her.

She looked up when she saw him coming, clinging to her brother even tighter and planting kisses all over his cheeks. How many kisses would be enough to last for eternity?

"Jamie. It's time." she nodded, tears silently leaking from her eyes as she looked down at the last of her family, Ryder had protected her for so long...

Daryl lifted up the upper half of the body and peeled the denim jacket off the boy, draping it around her shoulders. She clung to it as she cried, and Daryl put his arms around her, pulling her close to him. She buried her head in his chest and wept.

Rick laid the boy in the grave. "Jamie? Do you want to say anything?" he asked.

Jamie nodded, There was so much she wanted to say, but she couldn't get the words out around the tears...

"He was sixteen." Daryl said, looking at the ground. "He and Jamie survived for months together. He was one badass older brother."

Jamie nodded, burying her head in Daryl's chest again, They piled dirt over the body and Daryl stood, carrying her back to his camp.

He spent the day sitting with her, whittling, back against the log. She eventually ran out of tears. Every now and then she'd reach out and touch his upper arm, like she was making sure he was still there. Finally, she spoke.

"I want to cut it off."

Daryl looked up. "Cut what off?"

"My hair. It's stupid, it's too long. It's how they used to mourn people, right, cutting off hair? And besides, the walkers will just try and grab it..."

Daryl nodded. "You wanna go ask Lori?"

She shook her head. "I want you to do it."

He stared for a minute. "You'll look like a redneck cut your hair..."

"I don't care. I want it gone." she said bitterly. "If get some scissors, will you do it?"

Daryl nodded, and she trooped off towards the house. She found the scissors in the kitchen and turned, heading back towards Daryl.

"Young lady." she saw the old man called Hershel coming over and quickly hid the scissors behind her back.

"Yes?"

"I just heard about your brother. I'm sorry."

She nodded. "Thank you..." she pulled one hand from behind her back and brushed a lock of hair away from her face. Hershel plodded heavily from the room, and she let out a breath, relieved, before turning and running back up the hill.

"How short do you want it?" Daryl asked, looking at her hair. She'd let it down for the first time, and it was well down her back, long, full, even if t was dirty... He was totally out of his league.

"As short as Carl's- a little shorter, actually."

Daryl nodded. "I ain't no hairdresser, it ain't gonna be pretty..."

"I don't care. I want it gone."

Daryl nodded and ran his hands through it, unsure what to do... He filched at the first snip, but the second was easier, and the third, and soon he was surrounded by hair.

He left a bit in the back and left the bangs long.

"That's as short as I'm gonna get it without scalping you." He announced.

She nodded, turning and walking down towards the swamps. She knelt beside the water, looking at her reflection.

Daryl braced himself for the ear-piercing scream that was to come. He'd done a terrible job at cutting it, she looked like a boy with an awful haircut...

He heard her crashing through the brush and a moment later she was hugging him. "Thank you." she breathed, and he stroked her hair, feeling awkward for a moment. It'd been weeks since he'd been hugged like that, years, even, and he stiffened for a minute, before... he hugged back.


	6. Hide and Seek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl and Jamie realize they can't be kids anymore.

Everyone in camp looked up when they came to sit around the fire that night. Daryl normally only came down every now and then, but now that Jamie was with him, he was coming regularly every night.

Carol's hand flew to her mouth and Carl, Dale, and Andrea all stared. Glenn was clueless for a minute, before looking up from his can of spam and dropping it into the dirt out of surprise.

"Are you okay?" Carol asked her.

She almost snapped at the woman- her brother had died today, what the hell did she think? But she saw how sincere Carol looked and remembered Daryl liked Carol and simply nodded, sitting down on the log.

Daryl took his place beside her, and everyone just stared...

"Your hair..." Lori said, slightly shocked.

"What about it?" she asked, voice daring anyone to question her. No one did. She sat in silence with Daryl, staring at the fire, and they just watched Jamie. They wondered if she would unexpectedly burst into tears or something.

She looked up and they all promptly looked away. She dug the heel of her boot into the dirt as far as she could before looking up. She leaned over to Daryl and whispered a question to him.

"Why are they all staring at me?"

Daryl shrugged. "They're weird like that." he whispered back. "Just ignore them."

She nodded, staring into the fire again before finally leaning against Daryl and falling asleep. Grief was exhausting, and she wouldn't have been able to walk back up to Daryl's camp if she wanted to.

Once everyone was sure she was asleep, Rick spoke.

"Why'd you do it?" he asked, looking into his friend's eyes, confused.

"Do what?" Daryl asked, looking up from where he'd been studying her face.

"Cut her hair." Lori said, still looking shocked, maybe even a little appalled.

Daryl shrugged. "She asked me to."

"She just lost her brother. You really think she was in her right mind?" Shane asked.

Daryl nodded. "Yeah. She said she wanted it gone to grieve. 'sides, if I hadn't, she'd have done it herself. And a walker might have grabbed onto it if she kept it long..."

"Maybe she should move into the main camp with us." Lori said, looking concerned.

Daryl scowled. "You think I can't take care of her?"

"That's not what she's saying..." Rick tried.

"No, Rick, it is. You took her hunting yesterday and she fell INTO A RAVINE and almost got bit. She came back covered in bruises. Then you chop off her hair..."

"I didn't push her into the ravine. She ASKED me to cut off her hair. And as for the bruises, the one on her face is from you. You got mad and hit her. I didn't force her to move into my camp- she fucking chose me. And I'll be damned if you take her away from me." Daryl shifted her into his arms and stood, heading back towards his hill, leaving the rest of the camp behind him to look quizzically at Lori. Thankfully, Carl had fallen asleep by now.

"She can't really want to stay up there with Daryl." Lori said finally.

"I think she does. Think about it- they're both redneck, they've both lost brothers, they both shoot with a bow... So many similarities. And she seems happy to go up there with him. Daryl's a good guy, he'll protect her if she needs it." Dale said, being, as always, honest.

"I'm with Dale on this one. If the kid likes to hang with Daryl, let her. It's not hurting anyone." Glenn said.

"It's more than that. Did you guys notice that in the three days she's been here, Daryl's come down to the fire every night? He hardly ever came before, and I see him watching her do things when she isn't aware of it, he's looking out for her- I think he adopted her." Andrea added.

"I know you don't want to here it, but Jamie's here to stay." Rick said, looking at Shane. "We can't just send her back out there..."

"Oh, we could. You're just too pussy to do it." Shane said.

"She's Carl's age. Daryl said he'll hunt for whatever she eats, she's not taking any extra food from the rest of us. If anything, she is an asset to this group. You've seen her fight walkers. Jamie is staying." Rick said again. Shane scowled but said nothing in protest.

"And she's chosen Daryl to hang around. Daryl doesn't have a problem with it, I don't have a problem with it, so she can hang out in Daryl's camp if she wants to. Besides, now we don't have to worry about him being alone in an attack. He and Jamie can take care of each other."

Lori sighed. "I don't agree with it, but I'm gonna go with you on this one."

Rick nodded, looking over to see Carl, too, had slept through the whole debate and smiling. "Guess it's time to hit the sack." he said, picking his boy up and carrying him to bed.

* * *

 

Daryl looked down at the girl in his arms. "You don't plan on waking up anytime soon, do you?" he asked, sighing when there was no reply. He slung her over one shoulder, hauling her into the branches of the tree and placing her in the fork of three branches where she normally slept, so she was straddling one and leaning back against the others.

It was slightly cool, as well, and he buttoned the buttons on her coat before finding his own place to sleep. Somehow it didn't feel right to leave her alone in the tree.

* * *

 

She woke up with her eyes feeling sandy from the crying yesterday and slightly stiff, and was surprised she was in the tree.

She looked down- Daryl had a fire going and was cooking some squirrel, and she climbed down, swinging onto the ground.

"You put me up there?" she asked.

Daryl nodded. "Figured you wouldn't like to sleep on the ground."

She nodded. "Thanks."

He stabbed a piece of squirrel with a stick and handed it to her, and she nodded her thanks, but didn't take a bite.

Daryl didn't speak until he stabbed his meat with a stick himself.

"Eat." he said, pointing it at her.

She shook her head. "Not hungry."

"I don't care if you're hungry. Eat." Daryl ordered.

She tensed at his tone, and he sighed. Things were difficult, having a girl around.

"Look. I know you lost Ryder, I know what it feels like... But I won't let you starve yourself. Now eat."

She sighed, taking a small bite of the food and chewing. She looked up, and Daryl nodded his approval, so she took another bite. Daryl started eating his own breakfast, as well.

They headed down to camp to find Rick standing by the fire, assigning duties.

"Daryl, I want you checking perimeter. Make sure all he fences are strong. The las thing we need is a breech with all the walker incidents we've had these past few days."

Daryl nodded, shouldering his crossbow.

"Hershel has a horse tied up in front of the house for you to ride."

Daryl nodded again, starting towards the horse. Jamie slung her own bow across the shoulder by the string, walking with him.

"Jamie. Not you. I have a job for you." Rick said.

She turned, looking slightly unhappy. "What?"

"Protect the women here in camp."

"Don't give me that bullshit. Andrea, Dale and Carl can pull that off. You just want me out of your way." Jamie said. "I can pull my weight out here."

"What about tutoring? I was going to work with Carl today, and you two are about the same age..." Lori suggested.

"When am I going to need to learn algebra in a zombie apocalypse? Damn, you people are thick..."

Daryl gave her a look, and she sighed. "Fine. Sorry 'bout that last part. But I'm going with Daryl."

"No. You aren't." Daryl said firmly. "You'll do what Rick tells you to. Rick will make sure you're looked after while I'm gone."

"So you're going to let him give me pointless tasks when I could be out kicking ass with you?" she asked.

Daryl bent so he was close to her. "You're makin a scene and it isn't helping your case any. It's a few hours..." he said quietly, so no one else could hear.

She sighed. "Whatever..." she said, starting back up towards Daryl's camp. She would stay back, but she would NOT be a good housewife like Lori.

As soon as she was in Daryl's camp and Daryl had ridden away, Shane showed up. He cracked his knuckles, looking around. She fought the urge to hide, knowing that it would show fear, and instead stood from where she'd been searching he fire pit fr some live embers.

"Look, kid. I know you think you're pretty badass. Whatever, be a little bastard. But let me make ONE thing clear." He stepped dangerously close, finger in her face. "You do NOT get not the way of Lori or Carl, we clear? If you do ANYTHING to hurt them, you'll wish you were never born. Understood?"

"You threatening me?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and trying her best to look defiant.

"Yeah. Yeah, I am. So don't you even go NEAR them, or I will rip your face off..."

"Shane! Hey, Shane..." Carl came into camp then and saw Shane getting in her face. "Shane?"

"What is it, Buddy?" Shane asked, turning, instantly kind again.

"What were you... what were you doing to Jamie?" Carl asked, looking to her for answers. His confused expression said it all.

"Threatening me." Jamie said, sitting down on a log beside the fire pit and picking up a knife, starting to scrape the bark from a stick.

"Shane?" Carl asked, looking at Shane, confused.

"I was not. I was having a talk with Jamie about respect." Shane said, and she rolled her eyes. Sure he was. But still, she felt shaken, and was glad when Carl asked Shane if he'd help him shoot and he left.

She settled to practicing her bow, carving a large X int the hickory tree and peppering it with arrows, wondering when Daryl would be back.

Still, around lunch time, Carl walked up. "Hey... I'm sorry. About Ryder, I mean."

He was the first one who'd actually said something besides Daryl. She guessed the others had assumed so was still such a child she'd never want to talk about it. She turned, seeing if Carl was genuine...

He stood looking into her eyes, freckled face sincere, hands in his jeans pockets...

"Thanks. You're the first one besides Daryl who actually said something. I guess the others were all too busy feeling sorry for me." She turned back to the tree, pulling back an arrow and letting it fly. It hit a little above the X, but only because her hands were shaking slightly.

"Yeah, I guess. They don't realize it, but we're not just kids. We've made it this far."

"You have, at least." Jamie said, tossing a glance over her shoulder before firing another arrow. It was a bit to the left of the X.

"And you didn't?" Carl asked, looking confused.

"I did. Barely. My parents and siblings didn't. I hate you sometimes." she let another arrow fly that hit the X perfectly.

Carl recoiled, looking slightly shocked. "Why?"

"You have everyone. Parents, a sibling on the way... who in your family has died?" Jamie sighed, going to retrieve her arrows.

"My Grandparents." Carl said, trotting around behind her.

"Yeah. Did yo watch them die? Or did they just not contact you? I watched them be picked off, one by one, we had to kill some of them, and the others... there was nothing left TO kill." Jamie said.

"I've seen people die." Carl said defensively.

"We all have, but if you don't care about them, it doesn't cut as deep. And you fight with your mom, try to be a man. Don't you get it? She's trying to keep you safe. My mom used to do the same thing. And I didn't see it." she turned, wiping her eyes with her arm for a moment.

"I didn't see it, and I fought with her all the time, and then... then she wasn't there to fight with anymore, and I realized she'd just been trying to protect me."

"So you hate me because you're jealous?" Carl asked.

She wiped her eyes. "Not all the time. When I see you fight your parents, I do, because I think, you HAVE parents. If I had mine, I'd never fight with them. I'd hug them and say everything I could while I had them... You never know what you've got until it's gone."

Carl nodded. "So... you maybe hate me?"

She laughed a little. "I don't hate you. I'm- I'm jealous, I guess... But hey. Life sucks. Just... realize all you got."

"Good. It's lunch time, Mom wants you to come..."

She nodded, starting towards the main camp with him.

Lunch was just cold venison and apples, but she ate what she was given and made sure to say thank you. Still she couldn't get her mind off Daryl...

"Wanna play hide and go seek?" Carl asked.

"What? Um.. sure... How do you play again? I think I know, but I'm not sure..." she asked.

Carl gaped.

"What? I- I spent the past few months shooting walkers and remembering which plants were poison and which weren't. I kinda forgot how to play."

"Did someone say hide and seek?" Glenn asked, smiling.

"Not it!" Both Jamie and Carl cried in unison. Glenn sighed. "One, two, three, four..."

They were both scrambling away then. Carl started towards the barn but stopped when he saw Jamie scampering towards the woods. She lept over the fence like a whitetail deer with shocking agility. He decided then to take off after her, and by the time Glenn had reached fifty, they were well hidden in the trees.

They both stood, backs pressed against the trees, breathing hard. Carl grinned at her, and she laughed slightly at his expression.

"Shh!" Carl shushed her. The both peeked around the tree trunk to see Glenn in the distance, looking under the RV for them.

They both giggled, but the didn't turn around again for fear of Glenn seeing them. Instead, they both locked eyes, just grinning like maniacs... It was the best Jamie had felt in a long time.

* * *

 

"Andrea, did you see them anywhere?" Glenn asked. He was getting worried. It was going on half an hour and there was no sign of Carl or Jamie.

"Nope. Why? You still haven't found them?" Andrea asked.

Glenn shook his head. "No. And I'm... I'm getting worried."

Andrea could see by the expression on his face he was really worried, and she placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll help you look." she said, meeting his eyes and giving him a reassuring smile.

"Thanks." Glenn said, looking relieved. The kept searching.

* * *

 

"They'll never find us." Carl breathed from behind his tree.

"I know. But it's fun to watch them try." Jamie said. "I think he's got Andrea with him now..."

Just then there was a rustling, and they both were still, worried it was Glenn or Andrea. Jamie peered around the tree a moment later and came face to face with a huge walker.

She screamed as the walker roared at her, breath smelling like death. She stumbled back and the walker stumbled forward, grabbing her by the shoulders...

"Jamie!" Carl fired his pistol but missed the monster, and Jamie stared into the milky eyes for a minute, shocked...

Another gunshot from Carl freed her from her stupor when it whizzed by her face. She was stiff arming the walker, now, who kept ramming her back into a tree...

She kept one arm stiff and planted firmly on it's chest, but unsheathed her knife with the other and stabbed through the forehead...

The grip on her shoulders went limp, and the walker hit the ground...

"Carl! Jamie!" Rick burst through the brush a moment later with Andrea, looking frantic...

Jamie pulled her bloody knife from the forehead of the walker, re-sheathing it and staring straight ahead, shocked.

"Carl... my god, are you alright?" Rick went to Carl first, but Jamie didn't really care... How had she let her guard down? How had the huge walker even managed to get close to her?

"Jamie?" she could hear someone talking to her, but it was like they were in a tunnel. She was just shocked. How had she let herself be exposed? When had she let her guard down?

"Jamie? Can you hear me? Jamie?" Rick placed his hands on her shoulders, and she flinched, shocked, before pulling back.

"Did it scratch her?" Rick asked. Carl shook his head, looking shaky. "It.. it just kept slamming her against the tree..."

"Jamie? Jamie, talk to me. Jamie?" there was something pleading in Rick's voice, now, but she wasn't even thinking about talking...

It was the game. She'd played hide and seek like a kid, it had made her feel like a kid again, like everything was dandy and safe. It was dangerous, feeling invincible. If Ryder were here he would've noticed the minute she got careless and rebuked her gently, but Ryder... Ryder was gone.

All this was rushing through her mind, and suddenly she wasn't on her feet anymore. Rick had her in his arms and was carrying her back to camp.

Still, she wasn't really seeing it. She'd retreated to some place deep within herself where no one could follow. It'd been the game. She'd been too busy having fun, she'd let her guard down and almost died, and Ryder hadn't been there to save her because he was dead... Shock and grief rolled over her then. Ryder was really gone.

She just sat, struggling to comprehend that her brother had been dead for a day and she'd already screwed up.

Rick set her on a log and she just sat, staring straight ahead. Andrea came and took her hand and spoke words that she heard but didn't comprehend, Dale came over and just sat beside her, and Carol pulled her into her lap and held her, stroking her hair and mumbling words that she supposed would've been soothing, if she could understand them.

At some point Rick came out with Hershel, who poked and prodded her and looked at her back. She hard something about bruises, but that was it.

There was always someone sitting beside her, either holding her hand or talking to her or stroking her hair, but she didn't register any of it. Ryder was gone. Ryder was gone and she'd let her defenses slip. She could've become a walker. Those thoughts simply echoed through her mind.

She swore she'd never let it happen again, she'd never let her defenses slip. Always alert. Just because she was with people, didn't mean she was safe, you were NEVER safe... And slowly, incredibly slowly, she started to withdraw from within herself, slowly let sensation creep back into her...

* * *

 

"Shane. I need you to go and find Daryl." Rick said.

"No. If she turns, I need to be here to take care of it." Shane said firmly.

"She's not going to turn. Hershel didn't find any scratches on her, besides the ones that scabbed over from when she fell into the ravine. She's not running a fever... she's just in shock, he says." Rick informed him.

"Well if she's just in shock, then who do you need me to get Daryl?" Shane asked, scowling at him.

"Because she trusts Daryl the most, he'll be able to help snap her out of this thing faster. And he trusted us to look after her..."

"No. She's going to turn, and when she does, I want her dead before she can get to Lori and Carl." Shane said firmly.

"She's is shock!" Rick said loudly. Everyone looked over, and Rick sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair. He would go get Daryl, but then Shane would accuse him of leaving Lori and Carl in danger yet again...

"There!" Glenn pointed and they saw Daryl riding up, in his poncho...

Carl was already running out to meet him. Rick looked at is friend, afraid of what his reaction would be... When he saw Carl approach, he slowed his horse, then speeded up slightly when he heard what the boy had to say, He dismounted in camp, walking straight towards the log.

"Jamie?" he asked, getting down on one knee in front of her.

"Jamie..." he waved a hand in front of her face before turning to Rick, who sighed.

"They got attacked by a walker."

"They?"

"Her and Carl were in the woods playing hide and seek, one snuck up on her. She managed to stab it, but it slammed her up against a tree a few times, her back's bruised pretty good. She hasn't spoken a word since..."

Carol looked over nervously from where she'd been holding Jamie's still hand in her own.

"Jamie? Kid, I ain't gonna quit talking until you say somethin." he said.

"She's in some kind of shock." Andrea said.

Daryl looked over a her. "I don't need no mumbo-jumbo, blondie. Jamie. Jamie?"

Shane walked over and struck her across the face, and she fell off the log.

"Shane!" Lori yelled, and Daryl jumped up.

"Why the hell did you do that!?" he roared.

"She's in shock. Figured it might snap the bitch out of it..."

"She is not a bitch!" Daryl snarled. "And you hit her a hell of a lot harder than just wanting to snap her out of it..."

"Prove it, Redneck." Shane said, smirking.

And then Daryl had him pinned against a tree. "You EVER lay a hand on that little girl again, and I'll beat you to death, Shane." he hissed. Even Shane looked shocked for a minute, before Daryl tossed him aside like a piece of trash and returned to Jamie. Carol had sat Jamie up, and Daryl crouched in front of her again.

"Jamie? Wanna go hunting?" he tried.

She just looked ahead, eyes glassy...

"Jamie..." he reached out and trailed his rough, dirty knuckles across her cheek affectionately. She didn't react.

He gathered her into his arms and headed up towards his own camp, knowing she'd wake up sooner or later. He settled her on his own log before having another idea. He knelt in front of her, slowly putting the palms of his hands on her cheeks. He tilted his head forward until their foreheads were almost touching.

"Jamie. Kid, I know you're scared, but you gotta wake up..."

"Daryl?"


	7. Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl and Jamie mock a pop-culture icon.

"Daryl?" she asked, looking up.

"What happened?" Daryl asked.

"I... Carl and were playing hide and seek in the woods, I heard a noise and thought was Glenn but it was a walker...It kept slamming me into a tree and Carl tried t shoot but I... I had to stab it."

"You okay?" Daryl asked.

She nodded. "Yeah... yeah, I guess so..."

"Rick said you stopped talking." Daryl said.

She nodded. "Yeah. I was... I was scared. And surprised I let it sneak up on me. I didn't know how it managed to, how I managed to just let it creep up on me like that. And then I realized, it was cuz I was playing with Carl. I was having fun, I went back to being a kid... And I thought I was safe. And I wasn't. Ryder would've noticed I let my guard down. He would've told me. But he wasn't here, and it just hit me that he's... gone. And I guess I just went quiet."

Daryl nodded. "So you got caught with your guard down. So what? It happens to me sometimes, too..."

"But you can kill a walker with your bare hands. I can't. You ripped an arrow outta yourself and shot a freaking walker with it. I didn't. You're a legend- I'm just some kid."

Daryl shrugged. "You can kill anything if you put your mind to it."

"Yeah, right. I can barely even throw a knife..."

"Stand up." Daryl ordered.

"What?"

"I said, stand up. You can go ahead and have a little pity party, but you'll be acting just like what you hate being treated as- a kid."

She stood.

Daryl placed a knife in her hand. "Blade facing out, pinch just above the handle." he ordered.

She obeyed, looking at the hickory tree. Daryl crossed his arms, nodding. The mangled X still remained from earlier, when she'd been shooting arrows...

She let it fly and completely missed the tree.

Daryl handed her another knife. "Again."

Again, she missed. He had her go gather up the knives before going up again.

"Focus. Flick your wrist right..."

She sighed, taking a breath, before she did... She skimmed the bark of the trunk and sighed. This was going to take FOREVER... By the time Daryl had head head down to the main camp with her for dinner, she'd hit the trunk once.

"Jamie." Carl looked glad when she walked in, and so did the others, albeit a little surprised.

"How're you feeling?" Rick asked.

She shrugged, taking her customary place on the log. "I ain't dead."

Carol went to hand her a piece of venison, and she was about to refuse when Daryl gave her a look. "Eat." he said quietly, and she sighed, obeying.

Rick exchanged glances with Daryl, who shrugged.

They had a fire, just because it was dark, and they wanted to be able to see one another.

"So- anyone know any campfire songs?" Lori asked.

Jamie looked up, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You spin me right round baby, right round, like a record baby, round round round round..."

Rick shook his head, grinning, and Daryl sighed.

"Remember when that song came out, Shane? We were all just kids..." Rick said.

"I remember that song, I was little... I loved it." Lori said, smiling.

"I hated that song." Daryl said, and Jamie's grin widened. "You spin me right round baby, right round, like a record baby, right round round round..."

"Stop." Daryl said, playfully hitting her on the back of the head, and she stopped singing, but not smiling.

"Do you even know who does that song, Jamie?" Dale asked, looking interested.

"Umm... some old person, Price, I think?" she said, looking thoughtful.

Rick chuckled. "Prince. It was Prince. He was a big hit back in the day..."

"Oh. Wasn't he the one who wore the man thong and looked like a girl in his music videos?" Carl asked, and both Rick and Lori looked horrified, while Jamie fell off the log laughing.

Daryl grinned, glad he had someone else with common sense nearby. "Yes. THAT guy."

Jamie was in tears laughing, now...

"What's with you?" Daryl asked, looking over at her.

"I- I saw his music video... I- I thought he was a girl all these years..." she got out between fits of laughter, and Daryl started to chuckle as well, a low, gravelly chuckle that surprised everyone. They'd never heard Daryl laugh before.

"Oh... oh crap... Prince is a GUY?" Jamie asked through another fit of laughter.

Rick nodded, smiling at her reaction. "Yeah. Prince IS a guy."

"Unfortunately." Daryl added, which made her laugh even harder.

"Pull it together, kid." Shane ordered, but even he was smiling slightly.

"I'm work- working on it..." she sat up slowly, catching her breath.

"You done?" Daryl asked, looking at her, slightly amused.

"Ye-" she burst out laughing again, falling onto the leaves. "No! Oh god, no... He's a guy..." She was still laughing for a good two minutes before finally dragging herself back onto the log.

Even then, she had to press her face into Daryl's shirt sleeve to muffle the giggles.

Daryl sighed, picking her up bridal style. "I'm taking you back to camp before you attract every walker in the forest."

She was too busy giggling to respond.

"He's a guy?" They heard Jamie ask faintly as she and Daryl faded into the darkness.

"Yes. Prince is a guy." Daryl said, and another contagious fit of giggles came over. And suddenly, camp wasn't so morose anymore.


	8. Porcupine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie, in an attempt to help out, gets into trouble, and Daryl realizes she needs supervision only a keen-eyed hunter can provide.

"Daryl, You said the fence was weak at the west end?" Rick asked.

Daryl nodded. "Yeah. Near rusted out..."

"You and Shane will go repair it. Dale and I will help Hershel around here, and Maggie will go for supplies with Glenn."

Daryl eyed Shane bitterly- he still hadn't forgiven him for hitting Jamie yesterday. There was yet another bruise on her face, and if Rick expected him and Shane to work out their differences while working together, he had another thing coming.

"Jamie- be good." Daryl ordered her, before starting towards his horse. He REALLY didn't want to work with Shane, but that didn't mean he had to let Jamie know that...

It was around noon when she noticed Lori sighing and realized why. They were left to eat a few mint leaves and some other sparse greenery they'd gathered. She remembered walking through the woods with Daryl and seeing blackberry bushes on their hunt, and thought back for a moment or two. It was a mile or two deep in the woods, but she knew she could get there and back by nightfall...

She grabbed a clean looking bucket from the barn and headed off, hopping the fence and ducking into the trees.

She walked along silently until she reached the bush, looking around and finding the berries full and ripe, some the size of nickels. She smiled. While Lori wasn't a favorite of hers, Daryl would be proud to find she'd managed to actually help out.

The berries made a small pinging noise at first when she dropped them into her bucket, but she slowly brought her hand down, and once the bottom of the bucket was covered, her picking was completely quiet. It took a few hours, but around two in the afternoon she'd filled the bucket and she smiled.

There was a shortcut back home, by the hill, and some brush came up to meet her... She nearly stumbled when he foot went down a good foot into the ground. The brush had been covering a hole...

And then there was a flare of excruciating pain. She pulled her leg from the hole and staggered away as fast as she could away, breathing heavily, reeling... She fought through the brush, not caring how it scratched her, simply wanting to get away...

As soon as she broke the tree line she set down the bucket, easing herself down, praying the burning pain wasn't a bite...

Porcupine quills. Tons of them all embedded in her lower calf and foot. She'd been wearing sneakers, not wanting to wear out her boots until she had to, and they'd gone through that and into the skin... It felt like hell.

She broke off a branch with one hand, using it as a walking stick as she grabbed the bucket and headed back towards camp.

What was she going to tell Daryl?

"Jamie. I was wondering where you'd gone off to..." Rick said. She nodded, setting the bucket of berries on a tree stump, grateful Carl and Lori weren't here to see her so banged up.

"Rick- has Daryl gotten back yet?" she asked.

"No, wh- holy shit." Rick stared at her leg, eyes wide. "Lori!" he yelled. Lori was off in the distance with Carl, drying the laundry on the line.

"Get Hershel! Now!" he yelled.

"Sit down, Jamie, how badly does it hurt?"

"It's fine." Jamie eyed him coldly. "Leave me alone."

"You got massacred by a porcupine. You need a doctor."

"I'll be fine. Daryl will fix me up when he gets back..." she said, starting towards Daryl's camp.

Rick grabbed her and forced her down onto the log, though. "You're not going anywhere until Hershel gets here." he said firmly.

"And Hershel isn't doing anything to me until Daryl gets here." she retorted.

Hershel came out of the house then, followed by an anxious looking Carl, and Lori had already started to come over.

"Oh my god..." her hand flew to her mouth when she saw Jamie's foot.

"God, people, it isn't that serious..." she said, rolling her eyes.

Carl gaped. "How did she- what would do that?"

"Porcupine." Jamie said simply, sighing. "I don't need an help- I can rip 'em out myself."

"Let's get her inside." Hershel said.

"Nope. Not going anywhere until Daryl gets here." Jamie said, and, to their horror, reached down and pulled a quill from her leg. A bead of blood appeared and she smiled, examining the quills. "This happened to one of my dogs once. Quills all over his face, in his mouth, even in his eyes... Had to shoot 'em." she muttered, pocketing the quill. She turned herself so she was sitting up on the log, knee to her chest, and reached for another quill.

"Stop." Hershel said, looking slightly horrified. "Just, please, don't..."

"There isn't another a to get 'em out, Daryl will tell you, you just hafta pull them out the right way and hope the barbs don't get caught in your skin..." Jamie said. "But I'll wait if you want me to."

"Does it hurt?" Carl asked, looking curious.

She smiled. "Yeah. Just don't think about it. If we thought about all that happened to us, all the things we've seen, we'd go crazy." Jamie quietly, looking down at her foot. And Rick sighed, because he knew it was true.

"I'm telling you, it ain't that big a deal."

Daryl rode in to see Jamie sitting on a log, surrounded by Hershel, Rick, Andrea, Dale, Lori, Carol, and Carl.

"Just lemme rip 'em out and I'll be fine..."

"You need pain medication." Lori said, looking serious.

Jamie scoffed. "You'll need pain medication for when you have that baby. Don't waste it on me."

Daryl dismounted and tied his horse to the fence, both him and Shane walking over towards them.

"Jamie, what did you do?" Daryl asked, praying she hadn't cut herself on something. He'd hate to see Hershel stitch her up...

"Holy shit." Shane muttered when he saw her foot.

Jamie shrugged. "If you say so. Daryl, they won't lemme rip the quills out."

"Tangled with a porcupine, huh?" Daryl asked, smiling slightly. Most girls would be in tears from that- not his Jamie. She sat, cool as a cucumber, refusing pain medication. She wasn't a pussy. Not his girl.

"Why not? The barbs have probably dug in even deeper now..." Daryl said, kneeling to look at her foot. "Hell, it really whacked you. Where'd it do it?"

"Up around those blackberry bushes, It was hidden in the brush and I didn't see it..."

"Least it wasn't a walker." Daryl said. "First you gotta rip out the quills that went through your sneaker, and then take it off and work your way up with the others..."

"She needs a painkiller." Hershel said.

"Jamie, you need anything for the pain?" Daryl asked.

She shook her head. "All I need is them out."

"Right. She says she don't need it, she don't need it." Daryl said to Hershel calmly.

"She's going to need it, Daryl. I know she's tough, but this is going its hurt like hell..." Rick said, eying the quills calmly.

"She said she don't need it, she don't need it. You really going to argue when medicine is in short supply?" Daryl asked. Rick was quiet. "That's what I thought."

He pulled a stick from the small pile of kindling they'd gathered for the fire and handed it to her. She swung her leg up so she was now sitting up, injured leg in front of Daryl, knee to her chest, before putting the stick between her teeth.

"It's gonna hurt, you know. Bite down on that stick and try not to scream too much."

She nodded, and Daryl slowly grabbed hold on the first quill and swiftly pulled it out. Jamie didn't react, her jaw only tightening slightly around the stick. She was biting down hard, but she trusted Daryl more than she did Hershel. Hell, she trusted Daryl more than she trusted anybody.

Daryl dropped the bloody quill on the ground next to the first one she'd pulled out and moved onto the next. By the time he was done pulling out all the ones that'd pierced her shoe, the pile beside him had grown substantially larger.

"Tell me if you feel any barbs stuck in when I pull it off." Daryl said, and she nodded before he pulled off her sneaker.

"Feel any?" he asked, and she nodded.

Daryl pulled out his knife as she pulled of her sock, preparing to let him dig the barbs out.

"Where?" he asked.

"It'll be easier if you lemme do it. I can feel where it is." she said, after removing the stick from her mouth.

Daryl nodded, handing her the knife. Blood was already dribbling down her foot in little red rivers but she didn't wince as she dug the tip of the knife through her flesh, widening the hole enough so she could slowly use the knife tip to work out a broken top of a quill.

Daryl tossed it next to the others and pulled out his bandana, putting it to the wound to staunch the bleeding. "Feel anymore?"

She shook her head, and Daryl moved onto pulling the quills from her calf.

"Got any rubbing alcohol?" Daryl asked, and Hershel nodded grimly. While it would hurt like hell, it was the best disinfectant for all the puncture wounds. He fetched a bottle of it and handed it to Daryl.

"This is gonna hurt like hell." he warned.

She nodded, looking cooly into his green eyes. "I know."

"First wash out any dirt." Hershel ordered. Jamie sighed, scrubbing at it with a wet rag before hopping off the log and settling down on the ground.

"Try not to thrash around too much." Daryl said, before pouring it over her foot and splashing some on her upper leg.

She tried to be quiet, biting her lip until it bled, but the burning only increased... And then a flow of expletives flew from her mouth that made Carol gasp and Hershel gape. She barely thrashed at all, and finally, she laid still, breathing heavily.

Daryl chuckled a the shocked look on everyone's faces. "What? You never heard a redneck in pain before?"

Hershel started bandaging her foot- some parts of it had been so frequently punctured by the quills so close together that the skin looked more like the inside of an aerated candy bar than skin in some places.

"Pretty badass, kid." Daryl said quietly so only she could hear.

"Fuck you." She muttered.

"Aw, come on, don't be like that." Daryl said, crouching beside her.

"She'll have to stay off that foot for awhile." Hershel said calmly.

"Great." she muttered sarcastically. "Stuck in camp AND not allowed to walk away from you people. What's next- I get bit or some shit?"

"Don't talk like that." Daryl said quietly. "And you aren't staying in camp anymore. You almost got bit by that walker and now this just proves you're enough of a troublemaker that I gotta take you with me wherever I go."

"You serious?" she asked, eyes widening.

"Yeah." Daryl said, and she smiled tiredly.

"Thanks."

"No problem. I gotta go mend some more fences, I was just coming back for lunch..." he gathered her into his arms, heading towards his horse.

"Got your bow?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"We'll stop and pick it up. Geez, you can take down a walker in a New York minute but you get laid up by a porcupine..."

"Shut up." she said. But she was grinning as they rode off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, thoughts? Please comment- I love to hear your guys's take on things!


	9. Randall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moral conflicts within the group force Daryl to choose a side.

"There they go." Andrea smiled as Daryl rode off with Jamie seated on the back of his horse.

Carol shook her head- but she was smiling. It seemed ever since Jamie had come into their lives, Daryl had been a different person. Less reserved, more involved... she'd catch him watching her intently sometimes, as well, when she managed to hop around camp herself or stroke the fire. It wasn't just the watching her she'd noticed, though- it was the way he watched her. Quietly, reserved- he watched her like a father. That porcupine managing to attack Jamie seemed like it'd been the best thing that'd happened to Daryl, though she sometimes caught Jamie sighing and wishing she could walk around and run, most likely.

"He takes her everywhere with him." Glenn said, looking up and smiling from where he'd been holding hands with Maggie.

"You should be glad- he was such a loner before she came about." Maggie added.

"Yeah. But what happens if he looses her?" Rick asked himself, but they all heard it and stared.

Rick sighed. "All I'm saying is it's possible... I mean, any of us could. Daryl already lost Merle..."

"Dude. Have you SEEN Jamie? She's straight out of a Kick-Ass movie. She isn't going to die. Especially since Daryl has he back." Glenn said.

"Can we not talk about this, Rick?" Dale said, eyes darting over to where Carl was watching them. Rick suddenly realized his son was hearing everything he said.

"What?" Carl asked, looking up from the gun he'd 'borrowed' from Daryl. It seemed like Jamie was the only one who got to have an fun around here...

After he hide and seek incident, she'd stopped playing games. Like she was afraid fun was dangerous or something. And she'd killed that walker when he hadn't even been able to hit it. He needed to kill a walker. He needed to grow up.

And so he struck out into the woods that day, to kill a walker.

"This still doesn't settle how we're going to deal with Randall." Dale said. They hadn't spoken abut their prisoner in days, Jamie had arrived soon after he did. She didn't even know they had a prisoner.

"We're going to have to kill him, Dale. We just need to put it to a vote." Rick said.

"But what about Jamie- what makes him so different than her?" Dale said. "This is a LIFE, not some play toy!"

Rick whirled. "Jamie did not fire shots at us. Jamie did not witness rape going down and simply stand by. Jamie simply tried to run from us,which is perfectly natural, since we were strange men. She was an innocent, so we helped her..."

"You don't know that." Dale said. "You don't know a thing about that girl except her family is dead. She could've killed- she could've done worse things than Randall. All we know about her is that Daryl really likes her." Dale's eyes were filled with emotion. "I say before we kill Randall, we try and find out what she's done in the past."

"Jamie wouldn't commit rape. She wouldn't kill unless it was necessary..."

"Is it necessary to kill Randall? We should give the boy a chance..." Dale said firmly.

"Fine. Tonight, we'll ask her about what happened to her on the road. If she's done anything worse than Randall- then we'll set them both free. Randall will be dropped off on the highway, Jamie will be free to stay with us..."

"What makes Jamie so different than Randall? Why can't he join the group, too?" Dale asked.

"Dale. have a pregnant wife and son, there's Carol, Andrea, Beth, Patricia, Maggie, and Jamie to think about. I will NOT let a rapist live with us." Rick said firmly. "He'll be lucky if I let him live. Let's just leave it at that."

Dale nodded, satisfied the boy at least had a chance.

* * *

 

"Stupid cow." Daryl said. "How the heck did it even get out if the fences?"

Jamie shrugged from where she was leaning one foot against a fence post, keeping her injured foot off the ground.

"Dunno. Maybe it was just bored or somethin... oh shit. Daryl..." She lifted her chin. About a quarter mile ahead were walkers milling around in the pasture, and a broken fence.

"Looks like we found out how they came in." Daryl said, shouldering is crossbow. Jamie swung up onto the horse again.

"I'll distract them. You get the cow." Daryl ordered, and she nodded. She turned the horse around before jumping the fence on it, tossing a rope around the cow's neck and leading it towards the broken section of fence, to lead it back in.

"Come on, you bastards!" Daryl yelled. Of the six walkers, two were down, and he led the others in so they didn't notice her...

Jamie quietly led the cow in and dropped the rope, pulling her bow off her chest and notching an arrow, taking quick aim.

She dropped a walker behind Daryl, who grinned, stabbing the one in front of him... she nailed another one, and Daryl stabbed the last one, nodding to her.

He turned back to the fence, patching it up as best he could...

Around the fire that night, it was Rick who started it. "So Jamie- how'd you loose your family?"

She dropped the stick of venison she'd been holding, shocked.

"What the hell, Rick?" Daryl asked, looking slightly upset. Jamie just stared into the fire.

"I just want to know, Daryl. Jamie?"

"I... we were holed up in our basement, on a farm like this, in South Carolina. Except it was smaller. A horde came while my Mom was tending the horses at dawn, they just... they ripped her apart. The horde passed by, though, we buried my Mom- what was left of her, anyways. Then, one night a few weeks later, another herd came through. My Dad and little sister, Lily, got bit. We waited until The horde passed by- Dad rode out to the field with Ryder, and asked Ryder to shoot him. He did. It's what my father wanted. I waited until Lily was asleep, she was only six... I carried her outside and laid her on the grass and ended it."

"After that, Ryder and I knew we couldn't stay there. We shot the horses, we didn't want them to be alive when Walkers managed to get them, and we loaded up my dad's pickup with all the guns and ammo and stuff we could carry and left."

"Did you kill anyone?" Rick asked.

She swallowed and nodded.

"Who?"

"I... I don't know his name..." Jamie said finally.

"Why did you kill him?" Rick asked.

Jamie sighed. "We were on the highway, Ryder left me to guard the truck while he siphoned some gas, and this bastard came up to me and threw me down..."

"So you killed him." Rick said.

"It was either that or let him keep unbuttoning his pants and rape me." Jamie snarled.

"That's enough, Jamie." Daryl said calmly. "You don't have to tell them nothin'."

"Who else did you kill?" Rick asked.

"A woman who pulled a gun on Ryder. And a boy who had a bite wound and was unconscious in the woods. Ryder killed two men who tried to screw around with me, too."

"How long did it take you to get here?"

"Three months. We left the farm five months in."

"Dd you ever witness a crime?" Rick asked.

"Yes. Theft, I guess, if you count looting, but Ryder and I did that too..."

"How was the state line? Rick asked.

She sighed. "It was hell. Walkers all over the broken cars, they were... everywhere. A kid had been killed there, it was a feeding frenzy..."

"How did you get out?" Rick asked.

"Ryder and I crawled under the bodies of some walkers we'd killed and stayed there all day, I just clung to him, until they moved on."

"How long were you on foot before you came to this place?" Rick asked.

Jamie shrugged. "Twenty days or so. We just combed the woods, killed meat, found berries, ate plants and stuff. Who'd you kill?"

"I..." Rick looked shocked.

"I told you everything. You need to return the favor."

"I killed three people. Two tried to draw on me, and the other..."

"That's all need to know." Jamie said, picking her venison up off the ground. She brushed it off before taking a bite. The grit caught between her teeth, and Lori and Andrea wrinkled their noses.

"You can have a new piece if you want, Honey." Carol offered.

Jamie looked up for a moment. "No thanks. Don't waste food. 'Sides, tastes better when it's got dirt on it." she took another bite. Daryl was eying Rick dangerously. What was Rick doing, messing around with Jamie like that? He noticed Dale looking interested and realized it. This was about Randall.

"Come on, Jamie. I ain't playing this game, Rick." Daryl glared at him before heading for his camp.

"Wait. Daryl. Meeting for adults tomorrow, in the house. Leave Jamie outside." Rick said firmly.

"I'm not coming." Daryl said.

"It's for the boy's life, Daryl." Dale said, pleading.

Daryl simply walked away, Jamie beside him.

She could practically feel the heat rolling off her companion, and looked to see he had his fists clenched tightly, and was looking angry.

"What was Dale talking about? The boy's life? And- why'd they make me spill my guts about... about my family?" her voice shook at the last part.

"It's complicated." Daryl said finally, controlling his rage. "Our boys were attacked by a gang in the city, a horde of walkers broke up the fight. This kid, Randall, got left behind, hurt... We saved him. But he knows where we are, now, can lead the gang back to us. They're thinking about killing him."

Jamie nodded, "So- why'd they make me talk?"

"Because Dale is being a pussy and doesn't want to kid to die. He must've struck up some deal with Rick about how if you'd done anything worse than Randall, they'd let the boy live. They made you a part of their game..." Daryl was still looking angry.

"Did I do anything worse than Randall- or his he going to die?" she asked, relatively calm. "It seems like we have to kill him. But if I screwed it up by doing anything worse than he did..."

"You didn't, Jamie." Daryl assured her. "You could NEVER do things as bad as he's done..."

She nodded, still looking unsure about the whole situation. "What did he do, Daryl?" she asked quietly.

"Things I will NEVER let happen to you. Now go to bed." Daryl said, nodding to the tree. "I'll be up in a minute. Need to make a few more arrows."

She nodded, swinging up into the tree and getting into her normal place. In the darkness, though, Daryl looked down towards the woodshed where Shane and Andrea had been alternating standing guard.

He didn't want Randall to ever leave that woodshed, to ever see the light of day... Not with Jamie and Carol to think about, anyways. And he wouldn't let him, if it came to that...


	10. Losing Dale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl makes a costly mistake.

"Everyone's going to stay around the barns today- Hershel needs help filling the racks with hay. Carl, Jamie- you both wanted to help out, you might be able to..." Hershel had said she could walk again, and the wounds from the porcupine were starting to heal.

Jamie nodded, already standing and moving to her place. But it soon become clear the men were much better at carrying the bales, though Jamie tried her hardest and kept pace for them for a few minutes, but she started slipping...

"Why don't you go see what Carl's doing, Jamie?" Rick asked. "Or- go see if Maggie needs help with the horses. We can handle this."

She nodded, grateful Rick hadn't just told her to 'go play'. Carl was nowhere to be found, and the barn was empty, Maggie had already finished with the horses.

T-Dog drove back with another pickup full of hay. "Alright. We're getting there. Keep going, guys..." Rick ordered. He noticed Daryl not paying attention, staring off into the distance.

"Daryl?" he asked.

"Hang on a minute." Daryl ordered setting down his crossbow and jogging toward one wood fence, jumping easily over it. He was near two pastures that shared a fence side, and he'd spotted Jamie balancing on the fence rail, walking across it, right by the water trough.

He slunk silently forward before pushing her slightly- right into the water trough.

"Daryl!" she yelled, surfacing. Rick, Glenn, and T-Dog had seen it all go down and were chuckling quietly.

Daryl started to run, laughing as he went, but she sprang up and was after him in an instant.

"You're gonna get it, Daryl!" she yelled, but she was grinning, gaining on him fast.

"Oh crap. I think she's gonna catch him." Glenn said, watching. A moment later she'd sprang forward and tackled Daryl to the ground. He'd almost made it, too, he'd been twenty feet away from the fence.

"Holy crap." T-Dog said. They heard them laughing as they wrestled in the dirt, rolling over and over...

Andrea had come over to watch, now, and she smiled.

They kept rolling around for quite a bit until Carol walked over. "Alright, hillbillies, you gonna get anything done? she asked, hands on her hips.

"Huh?" both Daryl and Jamie said, looking up.

"Remember- we were working." Glenn said, smiling.

Daryl scrambled to his feet with Jamie, nodding to her. "We'll practice knife throwing later..." he said, and she nodded, dripping wet, before headed off towards the direction of Daryl's camp.

Daryl was covered in mud, but he set back to work as easily as he'd left, though he was muddy, and they could see him smiling as Jamie turned and ran off.

"I swear, those two are going to accidentally kill each other some day." Carol shook her head, but she was grinning.

* * *

 

Carl stood in the forest, staring at the walker stuck in the mud. He wanted to shoot it, but he found a rock in his hand and was throwing it, then. He smiled as it hit the creature, who moaned and frothed and hissed- It couldn't get to him.

He walked around it, circling, smiling, throwing another rock. He raised the gun to its head, finally ready to shoot. If only Jamie could see him- he was about to kill his first, become a man... The walker broke free and he stumbled back, dropping the gun. It grabbed his leg- one foot was still stuck in the mud. He kicked it and freed himself, turning and running.

* * *

 

"There. Again." Daryl ordered. She threw, striking the tree trunk, at least. Finally. It'd taken hours of practice, but she could consistently hit a target.

"Go get 'em." Daryl ordered, and she hurried to retrieve the knives before standing ready again.

"You seem to have forgotten tonight there's going to be a meeting, and possibly a killing."

Both Jamie and Daryl turned to see Dale.

"I haven't forgotten. But is there any other way, Dale? No good one." Daryl said. "Jamie- go hunt something." he said, wanting her to leave.

Jamie nodded, sheathing her knife and sticking the other in the log, grabbing her hatchet from the table and her bow from where she'd hung it on a tree and starting for the tree line.

"Now you can say what you want to." Daryl said.

And Dale let it all pour out. "We can't loose OUR humanity. What if that were Jamie, when she was older..."

"Jamie wouldn't stand by and let somebody RAPE somebody else." Daryl said.

"Fine. He's made mistakes, but we all have... Daryl, just say you'll think about it, for my sake." Dale pleaded.

"Fine. I'll think about it. But don't expect anything else." Daryl said.

* * *

 

"Daryl. Please, you KNOW this is wrong." Dale said, as they stood in the living room of the farm house with Hershel's family and the adults of their group.

"All I know is I don't want him around. It's about protecting the group." Daryl growled.

"Look, it's settled. We'll shoot him in the barn tonight." Rick said. There was a silence, as everyone looked apologetically at Dale.

The sun was setting, and Rick, Shane, and Glenn moved out to the barn. Shane shoved Randal in in front of them.

"Please, please don't... Please don't kill me..." Randall pleaded. He was blindfolded, but his pleas turned frantic as he heard the gun cock.

"Please- Please... don't..." his body was shaking with sobs.

"Do it, Dad." Rick looked over to see Carl standing in the doorway and felt shock ripple through him.

"Take him away." he said, voice husky with distress as he jammed the gun back into his holster.

Shane kicked the ground. "I can't believe this."

Daryl moved to take Randall back to the wood shed and tied him up.

* * *

 

Jamie sat on a log by Daryl's camp, waiting to hear the shot. She would rest easier when she did- though she hated to admit it. Not much could scare her, but there was Lori, Carol, Patricia, Beth, and Maggie to think about here, too. People had tried to rape her before, but Ryder had never let them. Still, this boy... he'd be better off dead. They'd be safer...

She stood and started running when she heard the screams.

* * *

 

Dale had wandered off, repulsed, not wanting to hear the shot that would take Randall's life. As a result, he was now trying to shove a walker off him. He had the walker by the shoulder, but nails pierced his abdomen and the creature tore open his stomach. He screamed in agony.

"Dale!" Rick yelled, running through the pasture gate. Daryl was there first, knocking the walker off him and stabbing it, before turning to Dale.

"Over here! Help! Run!"

The others had gathered around, by now...

"Dale! Dale, hang on, please hang on..." Andrea pleaded. She held his hand and Rick stroked the man's forehead.

Lori and Glenn ran up, both staring at Dale's abdomen, which was ripped open.

Dale looked confused, and Hershel came out.

"Can we move him?" Rick asked.

"He won't survive the trip." Hershel replied.

"We'll have to do the operation here. Glenn, run back to the house..."

Hershel placed a hand on Rick's shoulder. "Rick!" he simply shook his head.

Rick placed a hand on his forehead, smoothing his hair back, shocked...

Jamie had run over by now, and she stared at the scene before her, falling to her knees.

"Dale. Dale, please..." Andrea pleaded.

Jamie reached out to stroke the silver beard.

"Dale. Randall- we didn't kill him." She whispered. Dale looked relaxed when she said that, and his eyes fluttered closed for a moment. He continued to make awful sucking noises as he struggled to breathe.

Rick raised his gun before putting it back into his holster. He couldn't do it.

"He's suffering." Andrea said, tears falling down her face.

Daryl pulled his own gun and took a knee beside Dale, gun drawn, pointed at the man's head. "Jamie." he growled. "Get back up to camp."

Jamie obeyed without question- she knew what was going to happen. Daryl was going to kill him, and he didn;t want her to see it. It was the onyl thing they could do, she knew, but it didn't stop the tears from rolling down her face as she ran back towards Daryl's camp.

"Sorry, brother." And he fired.

Patricia, Maggie, and Beth had wandered out by now, and everyone just stood, some crying, some just shocked that Dale was dead.

Daryl, who looked down, face void of all emotions. Only she could see what he was hiding behind the mask- he hid his regrets well.

Carl just stood, silence of the night all around him, but time had stopped when he looked over and saw the walker- the walker HE'D thrown rocks at- laying a few feet from Dale.

He'd done it. He was responsible for a death, but it wasn't a walker. He'd killed his first. And he felt like anything but a man.


	11. The Spark of Controversy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie begins to question her place with the group.

Jamie sat on the fence the next day, tearing into some deer jerky Daryl had made. She grinned. "Really good."

"I told you I know my jerky." Daryl said. He was leaning up against the fence, as well. Jamie's eyes fell on the freshly dug grave. Suddenly jerky didn't seem as appetizing as it had before.

"Why'd it have to be Dale?" she asked quietly. "I mean, not that anyone should've- but- Dale- I mean, he just... ugh!" she was so frustrated she couldn't find words.

"I know. He was different than the rest of us." Daryl said, tearing off a piece of jerky and chewing thoughtfully. "He was a good guy."

Jamie nodded, looking sadly at the grave. Meanwhile, Shane was telling Rick about what Carl had told him, and they were talking about being a man in the loft.

"Anybody ever teach you how to fist fight?" Daryl asked. He'd hardly slept last night, nightmares had been haunting his dreams. It was because of what Jamie had told them all, about the time she'd almost been raped on the road.

"Ryder and I used to screw around when we were kids a little." Jamie said.

"That's different. What if I were trying to kill you? If you had no knives, no guns?" Daryl asked.

"Kick 'em below the belt and run." Jamie said.

Daryl chuckled. "And if I grab you on the way down?"

"I beat the hell outta you." Jamie said simply.

"Good. I gotta get back to Rick- they're thinking about moving Randall, maybe sending him somewhere. Stay close to camp- last thing I need is to have to rip more porcupine outta you."

She nodded, heading back towards the camp. She noticed a woolly caterpillar on a tree stump and smiled, picking it up. Just a reminder- summer wasn't to last forever. She set it back down. She headed back up to Daryl's camp and grabbed her bow off the tree branch, heading towards the woods, when she heard Lori scream.

"Carl! Carl!" She was off and running, notching an arrow and racing to the top of the hill, running down and pulling back as she went. Carl was struggling, a walker was on top of him... She took aim and let the arrow fly, and it struck the walker in the head.

"Carl!" Lori shoved the walker off Carl. Rick and Daryl raced over.

"Oh my god, baby, are you okay, are you okay?" Lori was in tears, pulling her son into her lap. Carl nodded, though he was in tears, too. Shane ran over, staring and Jamie, steaming.

"YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM!" He struck her across the face and she ended up on the ground, gasping.

"Shane!" Rick yelled.

But Shane grabbed her by her arm and pulled her up, punching her again. Blood flowed freely from her nose.

"Shane!" Lori yelled, looking horrified. "Stop!"

But she was too late. Daryl had raced over and let out a feral growl and pounced, slamming into Shane from behind and knocking him down. They rolled in the dirt for a bit, before Daryl came out on top, socking Shane again and again.

"Daryl! Daryl stop!" Lori pleaded.

"You bastard!" Daryl yelled, sinking his fist into Shane's ribs, knocking the wind out of you. "I warned you, Shane. You just had to leave her alone!" he punctuated it with a punch to the nose, then another, and another...

He seized Shane by the ear and yanked his head up. His eyes were glazed and unfocused, blood dribbled down his chin and from both nostrils. "I warned you, Shane. I'll beat you to death." He landed the last punch and Shane laid on the ground, unconscious.

"Jamie?"

Jamie stood, blood trickling between her fingers, which she held cupped over her mouth and nose.

"You could've killed him! You could've killed my baby!" Lori flew a her then in a flurry, but Rick held her back.

"Lori! Lori! She shot the walker, not Carl!" he yelled.

"You could've killed him!" Lori screamed, nostrils flaring, brown eyes burning with rage.

"Mom! Mom, I'm fine!" Carl said, staring at his mother, shocked.

"Would you rather I didn't shoot and let the walker get him?" Jamie asked quietly. Her eyes were wqide, she was scared- suddenly she was fearing people more than walkers.

Lori finally stopped struggling, staring. "Get away from me, get away from Rick, and STAY AWAY FROM CARL!" she screamed.

Jamie whirled, turning and running into the forest.

"Jamie! Jamie, wait!" Rick yelled, letting go of Lori for a minute and reaching out towards the girl. But Lori went to go after her, then, and he was occupied in holding her down.

"Jamie!" Daryl yelled.

But she was gone.

Daryl turned around, looking, for once, defeated, after her.

"Lori- stop! Just stop!" Rick yelled, and Lori froze, surprised. "That little girl just SAVED our son. And you just tried to attack her." Rick said. "And now- now she's run off." Rick said, voice thick with emotion. "She's probably going to end up like Sophia."

Daryl bent down, finding her bow and quiver where she'd dropped it. He caressed the side of the bow, running the string through his fingers, before wordlessly picking up them up, slinging them over his shoulder, and heading back to his camp.

He settled, grabbing some more arrows and another knife, before striking out in the woods. The kid couldn't get that far. But she'd covered her trail well, even though she was no doubt falling apart, and he spent the rest of the afternoon searching to no avail. Dusk fell, and she still wasn't back.

Daryl went to walk back to his own camp, not wanting to go to the fire. For some reason, there was nothing special in it, not with Jamie gone.

But the firelight cast a glow on him, and Rick stood.

"Daryl."

He wordlessly turned to face his friend.

"Did you find her?"

"No. She don't wanna be found. She covered her trail. Like she never even existed." Daryl said, before turning morosely and heading back to camp. He sighed. Somehow it was empty without her here. He sat for hours, leaning against the trunk of the tree she normally slept in, holding her bow.

* * *

 

She ran, tears silently falling down as she fought through the brush. She moved lightly, though, made sure to cover her tracks- she didn't want anyone to find her- she just wanted to be alone. She remembered where the sun was in the sky, it was going to set in the west, so she went that way, knowing she'd easily be able to find her way back, if she decided to.

She was mainly scared- she'd done what she was supposed to, shot a walker, saved a life. And she still couldn't do anything right. Not to mention she was afraid of Shane, despite how Daryl had protected her- Daryl couldn't always guard her, and Shane would be after her eventually...

Dusk started to fall, and she found a tree and climbed... She sighed. She had no food, no water, but she could scavenge in the morning. She was wearing Ryder's old jacket, she'd barely ever taken it off, and she wiped her bloody nose in her sleeve. Finally, she let the tears fall. Why could she never do anything right?

She leaned her head back against the trunk of the tree, tilting her head back to look up at the sky. Stars, so many stars. She really just wanted to be in her own tree, to be back with Daryl, but she'd marooned herself in the tree for the night . It'd be dangerous to have her bow and walk during the night, but attempting to walk back without it would be suicide.

* * *

 

"Dad? Is Jamie going to be okay?" Carl asked.

Rick studied the fire, looking solemn before speaking. "I don't know, Carl, I don't know..."

"Is she- what if she ends up like Sophia?" Carl asked, tears falling down his face silently.

Shane studied the fire. He was partly to blame for her running off, for upsetting Carl...

"It's gonna be okay, baby." Lori went to put her arms around her son, but Carl recoiled.

"Don't touch me!" he spat, pulling away. "You're the reason she ran off! You screamed at her once she saved my life!"

"Carl..." Lori said, looking shocked and hurt.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Shane barked.

"Don't tell me what to do! You hit her! You hit her because she saved me! You guys are all idiots! I hate you!" and he stood, running off in the darkness.

Lori and Shane looked after him, desperate.

Shane stood to go after him. "Leave him." Rick ordered. "He needs to blow off some steam."

Shane grudgingly sat down.

Lori moved so she was sitting beside Rick. "Do you really think I'm the reason she left?" she whispered.

"I think your reaction was inappropriate, yes." Rick said. He looked up and waited. Carl would come back.

* * *

 

"Hey."

Daryl looked up to see Carl standing in front of him, hands in his pockets, digging his toe into the dirt.

"What?" Daryl asked, looking over. His eyes lacked the sparkle they'd held earlier when he'd wrestled with Jamie and pushed her into the water trough, and when she'd started laughing at the campfires when she realized Prince was a guy.

"I'm sorry Jamie ran off." he said, looking up.

"Yeah, so am I." Daryl admitted.

"I'm sorry for what my Mom and Shane did- seems like the don't have the balls to apologize, so I figured I should. Daryl?"

"Yeah?" Daryl was running his fingers along her bow string, looking up at the sky. Was Jamie staring at those same stars tonight, wishing she was safe in her normal tree, with him sleeping beneath?

"You- you don't think Jamie will end up like Sophia, do you?" his voice shook slightly, and Daryl shook his head.

"No. I don't. There's always a chance, but I think she's got a much better shot than Sophia. She's country, even without her bow, she can make it. She may come back tomorrow. Or next week." or not at all. He kept the last thought to himself, though, not wanting to upset Carl.

"You should get back to camp. Your mom will be worried." Daryl said, still not looking at him.

"Yeah." he turned to go, but stopped. "I hope she comes back soon." he said.

"Yeah, so do I."


	12. Bitter Tears

Dawn broke in her tree, and she looked around, finding the area walker-free, before climbing down. The sun was rising in the east, she'd walked a trail west into the woods, yesterday, so she just had to follow the rising sun.

She started out, hatchet in hand. She strode along, silent, normal, noticing a squirrel on a tree, eyeing her warily.

She smiled, drawing her knife and curling her fingers around the blade. She took a breath and let it fly, pinning the squirrel to the tree and killing it. She took it, cutting it open and picking out the meat. The blood tasted metallic, but there was no way she was making a fire to cook it. The smoke would advertise her position to everyone.

She ate as she walked along, and by noon, she found the tree line, but something stopped her from heading back to camp before nightfall. Tracks, Daryl's tracks- he hadn't bothered to hide them. He'd been looking for her, he'd believed she was still out there, still wanted to come home. Lori and Shane probably expected her to be dead by now, more so with each passing hour. Let them think that.

She stayed around the treeline for the rest of the day until dusk- walking into camp during the middle of the day would be anti-climatic. Some part of her that was still a child wanted to walk in as dawn broke, wanted Daryl to come running and hug her. She wanted to come in at dawn.

She heard the moan and whirled, seeing a walker staggering towards her. She swung up into a tree to her right, scrambling above the walker's reach, breathing heavily. She didn't have her bow, she had a knife and a hatchet. The noise the walker was making as it reached up towards her was going to attract even more walkers out there, and she swung her hatchet at the reaching arm. It fell to the ground, blood poured out of the stump, but the walker grit its teeth and hissed, frothing at her...

With one arm on it, she felt safe enough to lean down, and she buried the axe in it's head. Blood spattered all over her, like some sucky effects from an old horror movie. She ripped the axe out and kicked at the walker's head, and it fell to the ground, dead. She re-sheathed the bloody hatchet, climbing higher and sitting back against the tree, staring at the stars. In the field in front of her, walkers flocked out from the woods. Four of them total, all moaning and staggering around. It would've been so much easier to pick them all off with her bow, and she cursed herself silently for not bringing it along. She just wouldn't sleep tonight, making sure one of them ventured too close to her tree.

* * *

 

"Daryl. We need to talk." Rick said, and Daryl walked towards the main camp, holding Jamie's bow, still. He'd gone out searching again today- there was no trail except for his own from yesterday.

So he'd come back to camp and just sat, hoping she came back soon. He stood almost outside the circle of light cast by the fire, and was surprised to see almost everyone looking anxiously at him.

"Tomorrow we start a formal search effort for Jamie headed by Daryl." Rick announced. "What do you have in mind, Daryl?"

"Leave her." he grunted.

"What?" Carol asked, looking shocked.

"Leave her. If I can't find her, no one can. She covered her trail, she'll come back if she wants to."

"You can't be serious. You'd just leave her out to die?" Lori asked.

"You did that already. She'll come back when she wants to. If she wants to." Daryl growled.

"Daryl- let's be realistic here, she doesn't have her bow. She's not going to last long." Rick said.

Daryl shrugged, turning and heading up towards his empty camp. She'd be back- she had to be.

* * *

 

Dawn started to break, and she took advantage if it, jumping down from the tree and heading towards the first walker in a half-crouch, starting towards it with her hatchet. She placed her hand on the walker's shoulder- he was a man in his mid-thirties- and when he whirled she buried the hatchet in his forehead.

She pulled it out and he fell to the ground, but that had attracted the other three walkers. One woman in a nightgown, a teenage boy, and a business woman wearing a suit coat and matching skirt.

"Come on, Come on..." she turned to the side so one of the walkers was closest, drawing it away, holding the bloody hatchet in hand and waiting until the woman in the gown got close enough, smashing the hatchet between her eyes.

To her surprise, the hatchet stuck, and she was left staring as the walkers came towards her.

She struggled, but the hatchet was in too deep- she drew her knife, hoping she could draw one of them away enough so she could slash it.

The business woman, ironically, was the fastest, and came at her, arms out stretched. She ducked under her arms and came up behind her, sinking the knife into her head and pulling it out, whirling to face the teenage boy, the last walker.

He was fast, faster than the others had been, and he was already too close for comfort.

She ran towards the woman her hatchet was buried in, struggling to pull it out, but realized she didn't have the time. The walker was limping towards her shockingly fast. She turned to run and tripped, stumbling and falling onto her back, scrambling on her behind...

Five feet away. The walker was getting closer with every step. She clutched the knife in her hand, by the blade. She was holding it wrong, the blade dug into her palm, but she took a breath and threw. It struck the walker in the eye and it fell, dead, in front of her.

She stared, gasping for breath, looking at them. She'd pulled it off. Four walkers dead, without a bow. She crouched over the walker, pulling her knife from his eye and re-sheathing it, heading towards the woman and pulling on her hatchet. It was really stuck.

She'd been wearing her boots, though, and she placed her foot in the walker's mouth for leverage, finally pulling the hatchet free. She dropped it into her belt and stood, taking a breath. She was going home.

* * *

 

"Rick! Someone's coming up through the pasture- I think... I think it's Jamie." Andrea said.

"Jamie?" Rick asked, looking both shocked and relieved.

Andrea grabbed the pair of binoculars Glenn had tossed her and stared.

"Holy crap! The kid's covered it blood... she might have been... you know." Andrea hesitated.

"She is not a walker." Daryl growled.

"We don't know that. Shane and I will go out to meet her, see if she's been bit..." Rick tried.

"She'd rather shove a knife through her head than become a walker." Daryl said. "YOU all stay back, but I'm going to meet her."

Daryl picked up his crossbow and shouldered it, holding Jamie's own bow and quiver in his other hand and starting forward.

Jamie looked up, grinning, when Daryl approached her. He was he only one she wanted to see right now.

"Jamie!" he called. And she was off and running towards him, grinning, before she threw herself at him. Daryl had dropped their bows, catching her and wrapping his arms around her. She was covered in blood, yes, but this was Jamie, HIS Jamie.

"Where the hell you been?" He asked quietly.

"Out." she said simply. He set her down and she picked up her quiver, slinging it over her shoulder, as well as grabbing her bow.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, fine." she lied. She didn't want anyone fussing over something as stupid as a cut hand.

"Everyone's been worried about you. You met some walkers?" he asked, eying her bloody t-shirt.

She nodded. "Five. I took them out, though, they didn't get me."

They'd started walking towards camp, by now. Carol ran to her, enveloping her in a hug. "Don't you EVER scare me like that again!" she ordered.

Jamie was stiff in her arms for a moment before sighing, trying to push her away. "I'm fine. Stop fussing."

Everyone stared, and she realized she'd left a bloody handprint on Carol's chest and stared.

"Jamie- let em see your hand." Rick said.

Slowly, she obliged. "Rick..."

"Did a walker scratch you?" Rick asked.

"No. It was my knife, Rick, a walker was coming at me and I needed to throw it- I held it wrong and it cut my palm."

Shane snorted. "Yeah, right. You're living in borrowed time, kid."

"I am not! If it were a walker scratch, I would've killed myself in the fields! You really think I'd have come back and risked infecting you all?" she said, looking anything shocked at his accusation.

Lori felt her forehead hesitantly. "She's warm."

"No shit. I've been running around killing walkers." Jamie said.

Carol felt her forehead, putting her cheek onto it like she'd with Sophia. "No- you have a fever."

"When you cut yourself on the knife- was there blood on it? From the walkers?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, a little..." Jamie said, when she realized what he was getting at. She stared, starting to breathe heavily. She lunged forward, grabbing the gun from Rick's holster and turning to run into the field. She wasn't going to become one of them, she wouldn't become a walker. She wouldn't infect the whole group...

"Jamie- wait!" Daryl grabbed her before could escape. She struggled, desperate to put the gun in her mouth, but he knocked it away.

"Let me die! I don't want to be one of them!" she screamed, hysterical.

"We're not sure, Jamie! You could be fine!" Daryl said.

"I'm not willing to take that chance." they all heard a gun cock and turned to see Shane with a gun aimed at her head.

"Shane! Stop!" Andrea pleaded. Suddenly Dale's cautioning about him were making sense...

"You'll have to shoot me first." Daryl said, stepping in front of her.

Just then, Carl ran forward, seizing the hand Shane had the gun was in and knocking the gun away.

"Carl! What are you doing!?" Shane yelled.

"You're not my father! I won't let you kill her!" Carl yelled.

"Everybody stop!" Rick yelled, picking up both guns that had been dropped. "We'll handcuff her to the fence, Jenner said it takes a few hours, if she's alright then, we'll know. Until then, she's still ours. She's still Jamie."

Jamie shook her head, shocked. "Promise me... Daryl- I want you to do it..." she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Nothing is gonna happen, kid..." Daryl said, looking as close to tears as he'd ever been.

"But... if I do.. I want you to... you to do it..." She hiccuped. "Promise me..."

"I promise." Daryl said. Rick offered his handcuffs over to Daryl, who went to carefully put them of her wrist. "That too tight?" he asked.

"It's... fine..." She assured him. He picked her up, wanting as much physical contact with her as possible in case.

"Jamie- there are a thousand reasons you could have a fever. Maybe you just caught somethin..." But they all knew how unlikely that was. Carol was crying- she went with him. She'd taken to enjoying the antics Jamie and Daryl had, the messes they got into- it was almost like losing Sophia again.

Daryl cuffed her to the fence and she sat down. He pulled her into his lap. "It'll be alright, Jamie- it'll be alright."

But for once, he wasn't sure.

 


	13. Maggots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang struggles with the prospect Jamie might be infected.

"You won't turn into a walker." Daryl promised her, as she clung to him. He wanted t believe it. But she'd cut herself on a knife that was covered in walker blood, the disease was transmitted by scratches and bites... there was more than just a little chance she'd get it.

Her fever had only gotten high as the day wore on- it was noon, now, and she was shaking violently.

Carol dabbed at her forehead with a wet cloth.

"Carol- go get Hershel. See if there's anything we can do." Rick ordered, and she hurried to obey.

Once she was gone, Jamie looked up at him. She'd long since run out of tears and just laid her head in his lap, looking up at him quietly.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?" she asked.

"No." Daryl said firmly.

"Tell me the truth. Am I going to make it?" she asked.

"I... I don't know." Daryl admitted.

She swore. "Everything hurts..." she muttered, shivering even more. Members of the group had come to sit with her, stay by her, but only Daryl and Carol had stayed the whole time. Rick stood about ten feet away, not wanting to intrude but not wanting to leave them, either.

Hershel came out a moment later.

"You were bitten, sweetie?" he asked, taking on his bedside manner.

"I ain't no damn sweetie." she said, and Daryl smiled. At least she still had some fight in her.

"She wasn't bitten. Cut herself on a knife that had walker blood on it, now she's got a fever. You think- you think something else could be causing it?" Rick asked.

Hershel frowned. "I'm not sure if the disease is transferable by blood, and even if it was, she might not have even gotten any into her bloodstream before the blood clotted."

"Don't sugar coat it- I ain't afraid to die." Jamie said, acceptance in her voice.

Carol, Daryl, Hershel and Rick all exchanged shocked glances.

Jamie grit her teeth and moaned. "Damn it..."

"What hurts?" Hershel asked, kneeling beside her.

"Everything, but my foot hurts the most..."

Hershel knelt down and gently pulled off her shoe. She screamed.

Rick, who'd been watching, stared. The bandage that had been on her injured foot, the one the porcupine had attacked days ago, was plastered to her foot and bloody, filthy.

Hershel gently peeled it off, slowly. Jamie grit her teeth in agony and buried her face in Daryl's shirt.

Carol gasped, and Rick and Daryl just stared. Several off the puncture wounds had swelled, and puss and an awful white substance had dried in several places on her foot. Angry red streaks covered the skin the wasn't pussy, and Hershel stared.

"That's why she has a fever." he said, sighing. "I should've come to your camp and changed the bandages, it just slipped my mind..."

"She ran off a day and a half ago. She wouldn't have been there even if you'd remembered." Rick consoled him. But now that he thought about it, the bandages had been on for about five days.

Jamie said nothing, just lying there, panting.

Rick looked down at his watch. It'd been hours, if she were gong to be a walker, she'd have turned by now.

He unlocked the handcuffs, smiling. Jamie was looking anything but healthy, a pale face except for the fever flush on her cheeks, but Rick ruffled her hair.

"Hear that, Jamie? You're not going to be a walker."

"Great." Jamie smiled, but she was so tired. Daryl picked her up, heading towards the house.

As soon as she was settled in the bed with an IV, Hershel motioned for them all to follow him downstairs.

"What?" Daryl asked. His instincts were telling him it was bad.

"We may have to amputate her foot." Hershel said. "We don't have any antibiotics, and even if we did, there's no guarantee they'd work. We have to stop the infection from spreading..."

"Can't she fight it off herself?" Carol asked, looking horrified.

Hershel shook his head. "It's beyond that point. We need to stop the infection somehow, and I see that as the only option..."

Daryl had remained cool throughout all of this. "What about maggots?" he asked.

Rick stared. "Maggots?"

"Maggots. They eat all the dead flesh. Merle used to put them in my cuts when they got infected."

"You have got to be kidding me." Rick said.

"No- I've heard of maggots being used before to treat wounds, but I've never done it..." Hershel said.

"How did it even get infected? Daryl used alcohol on it." Carol said.

"Bandages got dirty, turned into a breeding ground for bacteria. But I have heard of maggots being used to treat wounds... Maggie!"

"Yeah, Dad?" Maggie came around the corner.

"Remember those maggots that got into the meat that you threw away? Can you go get it?"

"Sure..." Maggie looked confused, but she didn't question it, coming back with a piece of meat.

Rick stared. "You're serious about this?"

"It's either that or amputate." Hershel said calmly, heading upstairs, holding the rancid meat on a plate.

Jamie, who'd almost fallen asleep, looked up when Hershel walked in.

"Maggots?" she asked, looking at Daryl. He nodded.

"Great." she said sarcastically.

Hershel grabbed some tweezers, laying the first maggot on her foot.

"Just out if curiosity, young lady, did you ever go barefoot?" Hershel asked.

Jamie looked at him like he was stupid. "Course I did. Never said I couldn't."

Hershel sighed. "Remind me to be more specific with your instructions." he said. He was placing more maggots on her foot, now.

"Can you feel anything?" he asked.

"Yeah. I've had maggots in me before, Ryder had to to put them in my arm once." Jamie said. Carol shuddered, looking pale.

Jamie laughed weakly at the expression on Carol's face. "What? You never had maggots in you before?"

"I... I can't watch..." Carol said, looking faint.

"I'm sorry, Carol. I didn't mean for it to sound like that..." she said.

Carol nodded. Still, Jamie, with MAGGOTS in her?

"I-I'll go tell the others what's happening." she said, before hurriedly leaving the room.

Hershel had at least twenty maggots on her foot, now, and they crawled near the yellow parts of skin, starting to nibble.

"Does-does it hurt?" Rick asked, looking curious.

"No. But I can feel 'em crawling around." Jamie said, shrugging. "Ain't that bad. Could be worse."

Rick nodded. "Rest up, kid."

Jamie nodded- she kinda liked Rick. He was a level head in the craziness that was their world. Hershel left her as well, and Daryl sat down beside the bed. He was silent for a few moments, before he finally spoke.

"Thought I'd lost you for a bit." he admitted.

"So did I." she said. "Guess I'm not a walker."

Daryl nodded. "How's the foot?"

"Hurts like hell, but I guess I shouldn'ta gone barefoot. You mad at me for running off?"

Daryl shook his head. "Naw. But tell me when you'll be back, next time. And don't get your foot infected."

"Will do." Jamie said. She darted a glance at the IV, then at Daryl.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"Wanna sit on your lap. But the damn IV is too short." she said.

"Don't move your foot. Maggots will fall off it. Wait a little, till they're burrowed in." he leaned forward, stroking her hair.

"I missed you." she said. "I mean- there was no one good to talk to."

"Missed you, too. You're the only one here 'sides Rick who has a brain in their head. Don't go runnin off like that again. 'Least tell me where you're going."

She nodded. "Right. Can you do me a favor?"

Daryl nodded. "What?"

"Whoop Shane's ass for me."

Daryl chuckled. "Will do, baby girl." he promised, and she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 

Shane sat on his log outside the woodshed, brooding. Rick was putting his son and wife at risk- because despite him coming back from the dead, Lori and Carl were HIS. He'd been the one to keep them alive. He'd been the one making all the tough decisions around here.

Letting Randall live had been the breaking point. But letting JAMIE go, while she was possibly infected? That crossed the line. So what if she hadn't turned? The kid was a ticking time bomb. He needed to keep his family safe, and he was going to do it, one way or another.

As soon as Andrea stopped watching him like a hawk. Ever since he'd pointed a gun at Jamie's head, she'd been staring him down.

He scowled at her and turned, now. "What you lookin at, bitch?"

"Nothing special." she retorted, narrowing her eyes at him. Shane scowled. Randall and Jamie were dead men walking, as far as he was concerned. Andrea would have to leave his side soon- and when she did, hell would break loose.


	14. Carl is a Possibility

"Hey." Carl had sat down in the lawn chair beside her bed and she smiled slightly.

"Hey. Daryl's gonna kick you out of that lawn chair when he gets back- he's claimed it."

"Oh. Hey- listen. I'm sorry about what my mom and Shane did."

She shrugged. "Not your fault."

"I... I have to tell you something. But you have to promise me... promise me you won't get mad." Carl said.

"I promise." Jamie said.

"I... I went into the woods. And I threw rocks at a walker stuck in the mud. And it got free. And it... it was the walker that killed Dale."

She sat up, looking shocked. "What!?"

"You promised you wouldn't get mad!" Carl said.

"I'm not mad, I'm just... Have you told anyone?"

Carl nodded. "Shane and my dad know, but you're the first girl. Even my mom doesn't know. Promise you won't tell anyone?"

She nodded. "I promise. I'm sorry I've been avoiding you. I just... I just don't want you to make me act like a kid again." she admitted.

"What? But why?" Carl asked.

"Because when I act like a kid I think I'm safe- I let my guard down and then something bad happens- like in that game of hide and seek. So I didn't let my guard down anymore."

Carl nodded. "I'm not playing anymore, either. No more kid stuff- my day gave me this." he pulled the gun from his pocket, showing it to her.

"That's Daryl's gun." Jamie said, narrowing her eyes at him.

"My Dad made sure Daryl had a new gun. I... I took it to go walker hunting." he admitted, a bit ashamed.

"What if Daryl had needed that gun? What if he died because he thought he had it and he didn't?" Jamie asked, hands clenching into fists.

"I know it was wrong, and I'm sorry..."

"Helluva time to be sorry!" she said, raising her voice, Carl looked hurt, and she quickly quieted down, not wanting Daryl to hear and come upstairs.

"Promise me you will NEVER do something like that again." she hissed.

"I promise." Carl said. He put the gun back in his waistband and they sat in awkward silence for a minute, before Carl reached out and felt her forehead.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Checking your fever. You can't die on me now." Carl said. "My Dad told me they had to put maggots on your foot?"

She nodded, smiling slightly. "Yeah. To eat the rotting flesh. Wanna see?"

Carl nodded, and she gently pulled the sheet off her foot. The maggots had burrowed into the infected puncture wounds and some sat on top of her skin, gnawing on the puss-covered parts.

Carl winced. "Does it hurt?"

"No. I've had maggots in me before."

"I hope you feel better soon." Carl said. He gingerly leaned down and kissed her cheek.

As soon as he pulled back, Daryl entered. "Carl. Your mom's looking for you."

He nodded, and quickly left the room. Jamie was blushing furiously.

Daryl took his place in the lawn chair, noticing her foot and the maggots.

"It looks better." he said.

She nodded, but she was thinking about Carl. He'd kissed her. Should she have kissed back?

Daryl noticed her blush and mistook it for a feverish flush and reached out, touching her cheek lightly with the back of his hand.

"Fever's back up." He muttered. "Want me to go get Carol?"

She nodded. Maybe her fever had gone up, or maybe it was just the blush, but regardless, she needed someone female to talk to right about now.  
"Are you okay, Honey?" Carol asked when she came in. Jamie nodded, and Carol went to get a wet cloth and dab at her forehead. She felt cold, all of a sudden, very cold...

"Get Hershel. This fever shouldn't be going up like this..." Carol ordered, and Daryl quickly obeyed, leaving them alone.

"Hey, Carol?" Jamie asked quietly.

"What is it sweetheart? You need some water, maybe some broth?"

She shook her head. "You ever been in love with somebody?"

The question caught Carol completely off-guard, and she dropped the wet washcloth on her face.

"I'm sorry, honey." Carol picked up the washcloth and dried her face on her shirt. "You just surprised me, is all... Yes. I've been in love before."

"What did it feel like?" she asked.

Carol smiled tenderly. "It's Carl, isn't it?"

She nodded. "He kissed me on the cheek. And it felt... good."

Carol brushed a stray lock of chestnut hair from the girl's face. "Has anyone told you about the birds and the bees?"

"What!? Yes! Please, I got the talk once, I don't need it twice..." she said, looking like Carol was telling her she was going to beat her with a stick.

Carol laughed. "Okay, then. Well, if it feels right, and if he treats you well, then it's okay. But if he ever puts his hands on you- just walk out. Because if you take it once, he'll know he can hit you, and he'll always do it..."

Jamie nodded, but she was still flying high, even if she was tired. Daryl returned a moment later, looking concerned, with Hershel.

He stuck a thermometer in her mouth and read the temperature- she didn't get a chance to see it. But she could tell it was high by the look on Daryl's face. She blinked, trying to stop feeling sleepy...

"That's good. Her body is starting to fight the infection again, now that the maggots are reducing the breeding ground for germs..." Hershel said, and Jamie blinked sleepily.

"Daryl?" She asked. Daryl was instantly beside her, taking her hand.

"Yeah, Jamie?"

"'M tired..." she mumbled.

Daryl nodded. "Just go to sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."

And she drifted off into a blissful sleep.

* * *

 

"She awake yet?" Carl asked, slightly anxious. He hadn't been allowed in her room for the past two days, and he was left to wonder if she was slipping away or not.

"No. Still asleep. Like you should be." Daryl said, before shutting the door, leaving Carl outside the room. He was getting unnerved by how persistent the kid was. Ever since he'd heard she'd gotten worse, he'd been inside the house and hadn't left. Normally, it was hard to get the kid to stay in, but now he was finding it hard to get him to leave.

Jamie had been asleep for two solid days, now. She was getting fluids from an IV, but her fever had stayed at a steady 103, which as starting to get to him. Sure, she was getting water from the IV, but she'd need to eat sometime. Carol had kicked him out of the room twenty minutes ago, insisting it wasn't healthy for him to just sit here, so he'd gone for a short walk before coming back.

"Anything?" he asked.

Carol shook her head, and Daryl sighed. "What the hell, Jamie? Why are you doing this to me? Just wake up." he flickered a glance at her, but she didn't stir.

She moaned, before starting to thrash- it'd happened before, and Daryl moved to hold her down and keep her from hurting herself and ripping out the IV. He didn't know what she was reliving, but it wasn't anything good. She'd sometimes scream for Lily, or Ryder, or her parents, but this time, she was silent...

She was still, then, and he looked down to see her eyes open. "Daryl?"

"Welcome back to the land of the living, kid." he grinned, and Carol smiled.

"What the hell- how long have I been out for?" she asked.

"Two days. Your foot's cleaned out pretty good, all the maggots died off."

She nodded, looking down to see her foot in sterile bandages.

"Can I walk?" she asked, hopeful.

"Not until your fever breaks." Carol said firmly.

"Carol..." she complained.

"No. I'm not budging, You've almost died too many times since you got here, you stay in this bed and hope your fever breaks before you go stir crazy." Carol said, and she sighed, laying back.

Rick entered then. "Daryl- how is she?" he asked, concern etched in his features. he stopped when he saw Jamie looking at him.

"Hi." she said, smiling weakly.

Rick smiled, coming to perch on the end of her bed. "Hey. Good to see you're awake- we thought we'd lost you for a bit there."

She shrugged. "Nope. I don't leave that easy. Now if only Carol lets me out of this goddamn bed..."

"Not until your fever breaks." Carol said, and Jamie sighed.

"Rick, you're almost out of venison, aren't you?" Daryl asked. It had just occurred to him he'd been so busy with Jamie, he hadn't hunted.

"Yeah, but you were busy..." Rick said.

Daryl shook his head. "I'll go."

Jamie looked remorseful, knowing there was no way she was going on this hunting trip. "Be back by dark, or I'll go out looking for you." she threatened.

Daryl nodded. "Don't worry, kid. I'll be back before that."

And she was left alone with Carol.

"Want something to eat, sweetie? Some broth, maybe?" she asked.

Jamie was about to refuse when she realized she was starving. She nodded, humbled. She would only let Carol do this, she decided. Only Carol and Daryl would see the weak side of her, since she trusted them.

Carol got up and left the room to go and get it. A moment later, Carl entered. There was a smudge of dirt around his jawline, but he grinned.

"They wouldn't let me see you. Glad you're awake."

She nodded. "Me too."

"I missed you. How's the foot?" his eyes lingered on the sterile bandages, and he grinned. "They going to let you out anytime soon?"

She shook her head. "Carol says not until the fever's gone."

"Maybe this will help." Carl leaned down to kiss her cheek again, but she was there first, and their lips met in a hot flash of glory, like they'd both been struck by lightening. They finally pulled away, both wide-eyed and staring at the other.

They heard Carol's footsteps on the stairs. "I better go. Get better soon." Carl said breathlessly, before slipping out of the room.

Carol smiled when she saw Jamie laying with her eyes closed. "Don't go to sleep just yet, Jamie. We have to get some food into you." She settled down in the chair beside the bed, and Jamie reached shakily for the bowl.

"Ah-ah-ah." Carol said. "You're my baby bird until your fever breaks. I get to feed you. Besides- it's hot. Wouldn't want you to burn yourself."

Jamie rolled her eyes, but she was smiling a little, and she opened her mouth and allowed Carol to spoon feed her. She remembered her mother doing this to her when she was ten and had the flu- she'd been so shaky she couldn't lift a glass of water to her lips, and her mother, her beautiful mother, had sat down with a mug of broth and spoon fed her when she woke up.

She kept her eyes closed, simply waiting for Carol to out the next spoonful of broth into her mouth, before she was full and gently laid back.

Carol stroked her hair gently until she fell asleep.

* * *

 

Daryl strode through the woods silently, crossbow loaded, ready. Hunting seemed less attractive without Jamie there with him. He'd promised her he'd be back before dark, and he needed something to bring home...

He heard the moaning and whirled, putting an arrow through the walker's head.

It was then he heard another moan behind him, and one to his left, and right... At least fifteen walkers emerged from the brush, making him wish he had Jamie with him. They were closing in, he received an inspiration, swinging up into the tree, pulling a leaf from Jamie's book.

The walkers below him clawed frantically at the trunk, but he stood. He took aim and fired off his bow, dropping one. He had three arrows left, and his knife. He hung onto a branch above for stability and sank the knife into the frothing walker's head, bringing it to the ground. He would fight them all day if he had to- he was doing this for Jamie.

* * *

 

"M' back." Daryl muttered a few hours later. It was almost dusk. He dropped his game line in camp, six squirrels, two rabbits, and a woodchuck he'd found running around. He turned back towards the house, leaving his bow outside- Patricia didn't like it when he brought it inside- before heading upstairs.

He laid his hand on her forehead- she was asleep, but her skin was cool- he smiled at Carol. "Fever broke."

She nodded. "But that means tomorrow she'll be wanting to get up and out of bed."

Daryl smiled. "Let her. I know she' ready- I just hope the world is."

Carol chuckled and shook her head before standing and leaving him alone with her- Daryl Dixon was something else.


	15. Hopping

Three days. Three days since Jamie had come back. Shane found himself enraged at nothing, now. He'd had a plan, he'd had a good plan, too, something to do with Randall... But he'd forgotten it. He kicked the tree stump, angry. He looked over to see her coming out of the house, now, Daryl carrying her.

Carl was watching, as was Lori.

"You don't go barefoot now, Young Lady. Keep that bandage clean." Hershel said. She nodded, and Daryl set her down. She'd been weakened by the infection, but she wasn't knocked down.

"Hey." Carl said, and she smiled. "Tag." she said, laughing as she took off running.

Carl shook his head, running after her, out of sight. But as soon as they were behind the barn, Jamie turned and he ran into her. She planted her lips on his, and instantly the game was forgotten, replaced by curiosity and love.

They came up for air, and Jamie grinned, laughing at the disappointed expression on Carl's face that the kiss had ended, before turning and running, her hair, which had grown longer, flying slightly in the breeze. She'd have to cut it again soon, but right now, she was playing hard to get.

* * *

 

That night at the campfire, Rick noticed she was barefoot.

"Jamie! Get some shoes on! You know what Hershel said!" Rick scolded.

"Nah. Hershel said to keep it clean. It is clean. I been hopping on one foot." Jamie said, And Rick realized the bandage still was sterile white. Jamie noticed someone had left Daryl's bandana hanging on the line and hopped over on one foot to get it, hopping back before taking her place on the log, bandaged foot crossed over her other leg to keep it from touching the ground.

"You've been hopping around camp like that all day?" Rick asked, and she nodded.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just wear shoes?" Glenn asked.

She looked repulsed by the idea. "Nope. Why would you WANT to wear shoes? Then you can't feel the grass between your toes..." she said. She turned, looking behind her. She'd heard twigs breaking, and she was the only one who wasn't startled when Daryl emerged from the blackness that was night and sat beside her, and she smiled.

"What were you doing?" she asked.

"What you don' know won't hurt you, kid." Daryl said, sighing and sitting in front of the fire.

"Hey Daryl- you know she's been hopping around camp on one foot all day cause she doesn't wanna wear shoes?" Rick asked.

Daryl looked over her her, smiling slightly at her creativity. "Fine by me if you wanna lot like a friggin rabbit. If you fall on your face, though, I'm gonna laugh."

Jamie smiled slightly.

A cold wind blew- it was almost fall, now, September was coming, soon, and the fire seemed to do for a moment. Daryl instinctively moved closer to Jame, though she showed no outward signs of being cold, she HAD to be bothered by it.

Carl was outright shivering. "H-how are you n-not c-cold." he said, staring at Jamie, who was clad in short sleeves and her ripped up jeans.

Jamie laughed. "I'm from New York." she said, smiling.

"You said you were from South Carolina." Rick said, looking at her.

"I was. I moved there when I was five- I was born in New York."

"New York City?" Glenn asked, sounding interested.

Jamie wrinkled her nose. "Hell no. Upstate, where all the milk comes from. I remember the snow, and ice skating, and my Dad dragging a fresh killed deer home through the snow... Hell, this is nothing compared to a New York winter. I remember a huge blizzard- snow was up to my chest. Course, I was littler back then..."

"Heard you have big deer up there." Daryl said. "Weigh more, at least."

Jamie nodded. "Yeah. I remember this huge twelve point my dad killed, two hundred pounds. I remember sitting on it in the snow, pretending it was a horse, holding onto the antlers like it was a Harley. Ryder had to pull me off for I got deer ticks on me." she laughed at the memory. "Mom got a picture, I think, but it probably burned with the rest of them."

"Burned?" Rick asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Furnace malfunction, the farmhouse burned to the ground. Barely made it out. But the insurance paid out, and Dad heard from my grandparents about a little farm in South Carolina, and we moved. Spent the last seven and a half years trying to get used to this heat down here... Winter's still my favorite season. Too damn hot in the summer."

"And to think I thought you were a southern girl." Lori joked.

She shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. But I can't help wondering- are there still walkers in New York? I mean, they're slow to begin with, but a foot or two of snow? They'd be almost defenseless..."

"So New York might be safe?" Rick asked.

Jamie shrugged. "Nowhere's safe, but safer, maybe. But I don't know for sure, and we'd never make the trip up there. Too many walkers, too much danger. Besides, if the walkers don't kill you, hypothermia will. Especially for you southern boys. No offense, but you'd have idea how to survive a blizzard. Blood's thicker up North."

"How so?" T-Dog asked.

"Well, think about it. Born is cold temperatures, you get used to it. But then you come down south and it's hot as hell- way I figure, blood is thicker up North to hold the heat."

Rick nodded, pondering it all.

"Least us southern boys don't get stuck by porcupines and shit." Shane said, scowling.

"I never meant anything against southern boys. I jest meant..."

"That southern boys are weaker." Shane said, staring hatefully at her.

"She didn't mean any of that, Shane. She was just saying..."

"I know what she was saying, Andrea. Shut the hell up." Shane stood, glowering down at her and cracking his neck.

"Shane..." Lori said, eying Shane, looking slightly shocked at how he was acting.

"Shane- Jamie was just talking about how the cold reminds her of home, is all..." Rick said, trying to defuse the situation. Shane seemed not to hear him, stepping towards Jamie, fists clenched.

"One more step, asshole, and I beat you worse than before." Daryl said, looking up at Shane with a scowl on his features.

Jamie watched it all, face void of emotion- she'd been taught by her father not to show a man fear if he tried to hurt her- they'd think twice if she was calm. And Daryl would protect her.

"You're seriously going to defend that piece of shit?" Shane snarled.

"Look who's talking." Glenn muttered.

"You say something, chink?" Shane said gruffly.

"Nothing." Glenn said quickly, looking at the ground.

"That's what I thought." Shane muttered, before stalking off into the night.

There was silence then, except for the crackling of the fire.

"Anybody have any idea why he hates me?" Jamie asked finally.

Rick looked over at her. "Probably because you bit him pretty bad when we were trying to chase you down in the woods when we first met you. Wounded his pride. Though Shane's never been one to hold a grudge..." he looked into the darkness after his friend, slightly concerned...

"Doesn't matter why he hates you. He'll never get within ten feet of you, and if he does, don't be afraid to cut him up with your knife." Daryl said, staring after him as well and moving so he was slightly closer to Jamie.

Lori's hand flew to her mouth, and Carol gasped.

"What? If he tries to hurt her, she's got every right to." Daryl said.

"Yes. Let's just try to keep that from happening, alright, Jamie?" Rick asked, looking at her.

She nodded, but still, the rest of the night the group was on pins and needles, wondering if Shane would come back and do something rash.


	16. End of the Farm

It was the next night when it happened. Shane took Randall out, having him lead him along the woods towards where his gang would be. His rage from last night had grown into an inferno, though he concealed it well. He snapped Randall's neck as the sun was setting, ending his incessant chatter. It was annoying.

His nose was bleeding, and he ran into the tree trunk, slightly confused. What was he doing? Right, He was protecting Carl. By getting rid of the biggest threat- Rick.

"Hey! Help! Randall got out!" he yelled, as soon as he was back.

Instantly, the camp was in a flurry of activity, everyone hurrying to move.

Jamie pulled on her boots, looking out at the horizon.

"Glenn, Daryl, Shane, and I will search for him. All the others- get back to the house." Rick ordered.

"I'm coming." Jamie said firmly.

"No. Get back to the house." Daryl said firmly.

"Daryl. I've lasted nights in the woods before." Jamie said.

"Jamie, just go!" Daryl yelled. She backed up, surprised, and Daryl pointed. "Go." she turned and ran towards the house, slamming the door.

"Damn it." Daryl muttered, frustrated. Since when had this parenting thing gotten so hard? How could he explain to a twelve and a half year old he didn't want her anywhere near Randall, since he was a RAPIST? She'd say she was strong enough, and he'd argue he'd never called her weak in the first place... And they didn't have time for that now.

Rick looked at him, sympathetic- he'd had to do that with Carl, as well.

"What are y'all starin at? Let's move." Daryl said morosely, slinging his crossbow over his shoulder. So they went.

Jamie leaned on the porch railing, looking out into the night. She'd wanted to go badly, and now Daryl was out in the night, with only Glenn... She looked over to her bow, which was leaning against the house, and slung her quiver over her shoulder. She wanted to be ready in case they ran into the yard being trailed by walkers or something- she just had this shitty feeling...

* * *

 

"Neck is snapped. And fresh blood on this tree. Shane killed him." Daryl said.

"What? Why?" Glenn asked, looking shocked.

"No idea. All I know is we need to get back to the house, hope Rick and Shane do, too, and move on from there."

* * *

 

Rick fired the fatal shit and let him hit the ground. He turned, starting to walk back towards the pasture, but stopped dead when he saw Carl. "Carl, this isn't what it looks like..." he said.

Rick raised his pistol, looking shaky. "Carl- Carl, let's talk about this." Rick said. he fired, and Shane, who'd re-animated, fell to the ground, dead, behind him.

"I had to kill him." He explained, as they started back towards the farm house. In the silence that followed, they both heard the moans and turned to see the horde behind them. "Run." Rick ordered.

* * *

 

Jamie stared. It'd been peaceful, and the next thing they knew, the barn was on fire and the horde of zombies was coming towards them.

Beth looked horrified, and Maggie held her sister close. Beth pulled the pistol from her back pocket.

"Take it." She ordered. "You're a better shot." Jamie nodded and turned to the horde- Daryl, Hershel, Maggie, Glenn and her were all firing at the oncoming horde.

"Get in the house. Rick will get the truck..." Daryl ordered. Carol came out then, ready.

"Where's Carl!?" Lori yelled, looking horrified. Jamie swore between shots.

"Hope he's with Rick!" she said. Andrea was fighting, as well, the whole group fought towards the impending herd. The barn was on fire and they were all enraptured in fighting...

Rick and Carl were running towards he house, then. By then, one vehicle had already taken off.

"It's my farm! I'll die here!" Hershel yelled, while the remains of Patricia were being devoured by walkers. Jamie stared, wide eyed. She was almost out of ammo and he herd was still coming...

Rick had promised Daryl he'd get Jamie out somewhere in the chaos...

"Hershel! Come on!" Rick yelled. He dragged the old man into the car, and they were gone. It was then Jamie realized what had happened. She'd been left behind. She had no idea where Daryl was, she didn't even SEE Andrea in all the chaos, and she was left to run inside the house and lock the door. She barricaded it with the kitchen table and sat, gasping. The walkers could break the windows, the place would be overrun, soon... She just had to hope Daryl came back for her in time.

* * *

 

"We're missing Andrea and Jamie." Rick said.

"I'm going back." Daryl said firmly.

"Daryl, it's suicide..." Lori said, trying to reason with him.

"Shut up, dumb bitch!" Daryl yelled, whirling. "My little girl is back there, and I'm going to go get her! You said you'd get her out, Rick."

"I'm sorry. It was the heat of the moment, I didn't know she wasn't with us until it was too late..."

"T-Dog. I need the truck." Daryl said, motioning to the blue pickup.

"This is a lot of risk to take. We don't even know if she's alive." Lori said.

"She IS still alive. She's probably barricaded herself in the house- she won't stop fighting until she's dead. And I'm going back for her." Daryl said, catching the keys T-dog threw him.

"Daryl-" Rick said, about to say something.

"You'd do the same thing if it were Carl." Daryl said, and Rick realized he was right.

"Just... be careful, okay?"

Daryl said nothing, simply jumping in the pickup and turning it around, heading back towards the deadly herd.

* * *

 

Jamie sank her knife into the head of a 'd surrounded the house, but the kitchen table was doing a good job at keeping them out. Only ten or so had wandered into the house, and they weren't all once, so she'd handled it. She sat back, gasping, remembering her bow on the table and the pistol in her pocket, Beth had given it to her, but she didn't dare shoot it. She'd used up all the ammo shooting with the others outside...

She put her hand into the jacket pocket of Ryder's old jacket and stared, feeling a bullet in there. She pulled it out- it was the right caliber, and she shoved it into the gun appreciatively. One bullet.

She wasn't going to waste it on a walker. No, if it came to a point where there were too many or she could no longer fight, she'd put it through her head. She'd been holed up inside for an hour, now, and she prayed Daryl would come back for her. He had to.

Daryl drove through the herd- he prayed Jamie was back by the house- he ran down walkers as he went, but he didn't really care. He just had to get to the house. Had to get to Jamie.

He drove by the door, seeing it'd been broken down, but that the dining room table had been shoved in the doorway to barricade it halfway. There was blood all over...

"Jamie! Jamie, come on!" Daryl yelled. The walkers had surrounded him, they were banging on the windows...

He honked the horn, getting an idea. Maggie's room had a balcony, and he pulled up underneath it. It was a fifteen foot drop into the tailgate, but Jamie could make it, if she was still there...

* * *

 

She fingered the pistol nervously. Maybe she should do it. She'd been here for what felt like an eternity, and maybe Daryl wasn't coming back...

She lifted the gun. She was exhausted, she couldn't hold out much longer, and she didn't want her last moments to be fumbling for a gun while a walker tore at her. Maybe she should do it now...

"Thank you." Jamie breathed when she heard the horn honk. Daryl was here. She watched him pull up the truck under the balcony and realized what he was doing, racing upstairs towards Maggie's room. She grabbed the first thing she saw, throwing her bow down into the tailgate first, then the picture frame she'd grabbed, then the quiver, before jumping.

As soon as she was in the tailgate, Daryl used the butt of a rifle to break open the back window. The shock of her fall had been taken mainly by her boots, though she'd landed in a crouch position.

The walkers clawed frantically at the side of the pickup, and Daryl seized her by the collar, pulling her into the back of the truck.

He pulled forward, trying to fight his way through the walkers. He shoved the rifle into her hands.

"Lay down some fire." he ordered.

She nodded, and gunfire ripped through the air. Daryl gunned the engine, running some walkers down. They were attracted to the back to the truck, because of the gunfire sounds coming from the back window, and they finally managed to pull out, heading for the road.

Jamie still sat turned towards the back, letting the bullets fly.

"You can stop. No use wasting ammo if they aren't a danger." Daryl said, and she nodded, setting the gun down and turning around to face front.

"You came back." She said simply.

"Yeah. You think I'd leave you there?" Daryl asked. She shook her head. "I.. I wasn't sure. You yelled at me earlier, and I was scared you wouldn't come back..." and she started to cry.

"Hey. Get over here." Daryl said, and she climbed into his lap, burying her face in his chest as he drove, smelling the familiar scent, feeling the strong arms on both sides of her as they gripped the wheel...

"I would've come back no matter WHAT. You hear me? I would NEVER leave you unless I was dead. And ain't gonna let that happen. Somebody's gotta look out for you."

She nodded, quickly wiping her eyes.

"And I yelled at you because I didn't want you to come after me and find Randall. He was part of gang rape, and I didn't want you anywhere near that."

She nodded and clung to him tighter.

"How long were you holed up in that house?" he asked.

"An hour or two. Used my knives on the walkers that came in. I thought about putting a bullet through my head, but I kept praying you'd come..." and she simply clung to him until they reached the car where they'd left Sophia supplies.

Everyone stared when she got out of the truck with Daryl, looking at her like she'd come back from the dead. Jamie scanned the faces, still clinging to Daryl for all she was worth...

"How'd you do it?" Rick asked.

"Barricaded the door and killed the ones that decided to come in." she said.

She was looking pale and shaky.

"Did you have any ammo?" Rick asked.

She shook her head. "Used it all up with you guys. I had one bullet left, but I was saving it in case you guys left me behind..."

Everyone exchanged glances, horrified.

"We have to move. Find somewhere safe." Rick said. Jamie made no attempt to let go of Daryl- it seemed clear she'd had the fight knocked out of her, today.

"Let's go." Rick said, and they all headed towards the cars. Daryl headed towards the Harley, Jamie sitting behind him. She'd never ridden his Harley before, and she wrapped her arms around his mid-section.

"Hold on tight, kid." he said, and she nodded. "I need you to be shotgun if we come across some walkers."

She nodded, but within the hour, she was fast asleep, face pressed into his back.

The rumbling of the Harley had lulled her to sleep. Still, Daryl smiled. He couldn't imagine going anywhere without her.


	17. Candy

They spent the first night of winter in an abandoned cottage. They were all sleeping in the windowless basement, since the inhabitants had commit suicide in the bedroom, and the stench of rotting bodies was too much.

Jamie found herself a corner, but she started shaking.

"Jamie? You okay?" Rick asked.

She had her knees to her chest, and she buried her head in her kneecaps, shaking uncontrollably.

"Get over here." Daryl sighed, pulling her into his lap. "What's wrong, Jamie?"

"Don't wanna go to sleep. Too many nightmares." she whispered, looking up at him, tears streaking her cheeks.

"I'll wake you up if you have one. I promise." he muttered into her ear. It was clear the poor kid was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and she buried her head in Daryl's chest and finally fell asleep.

Daryl leaned back against the earth wall of the basement, settling down for the night as well. There was no WAY he was letting go of Jamie tonight- not when she'd almost slipped through his fingers today.

* * *

 

"NO! NO! Run, run, please go! Run! They're behind you! MOM!" her screams tore through the night, and everyone bolted awake.

"Jamie!" Rick jumped up and drew his gun, and Daryl bolted awake.

"Jamie, wake up..." Daryl muttered, shaking her lightly.

"Mom! No, run! I don't have any bullets! NOOOOO!"

Daryl clapped a hand over her mouth and she sat bolt upright, eyes wide, chest heaving.

"Mom?" she asked, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Mom?"

No one knew what to say.

"Mama..." she buried her face in Daryl's chest and cried, and Daryl held her close and rocked her back and forth until she was asleep again.

"That happen a lot?" Rick asked.

Daryl nodded. "More often since her foot got screwed up, anyways."

"Keep her quiet. We already lost Andrea- the last thing we need is walkers." Lori said bitterly.

"Not like she can help it, Bitch." Daryl said, and Lori scowled. "Besides, y'all wanted to leave her for dead today."

Jamie was huddled against him, wordless.

"She doesn't seem like much of an asset anymore." Lori pointed out.

"Because she had a fuckin' bad day. She'll be back at it soon enough, just you wait." Daryl said.

Lori opened her mouth to say something, but was silenced by Carol.

"Don't. Just don't, Lori. It may be the hormones or the lack of sleep, but stop before you say something you regret." Carol said. Lori scowled before turning away to face the wall.

Daryl didn't look at her, but thanked Carol with his gaze. She nodded slowly- they'd all learned to deal ith Lori ver the past few weeks, but Jamie would NOT be left behind.

* * *

 

They spent the next week scavenging through a trailer park, and they were all hungry.

Jamie found some Fancy Feast cat food in one, and brought down all the seven cans she could find. She was quieter now, more reserved, but she was slowly coming back into herself. She set them down.

"Anybody want some?" she asked.

Everyone shook their heads, looking slightly disgusted, except for Daryl. She popped the top on one and found a spoon, scooping it up.

She took a bite and sat down, taking another.

"Hell, I'll try some." Daryl said.

"Try the chicken and cheese- it's the best flavor. That tuna in whitefish stuff sounds fancy, but it's shit." Jamie said between bites of catfood.

"Wait- you've done this before?" Maggie asked, looking surprised.

Jamie nodded.

"What? Were you like holed up in a pet store or something?" Glenn asked, looking slightly amused.

Jamie laughed, shaking her head. "No. Ryder dared me to eat some when we were kids. One bite of each flavor. It was for his science project. He got disqualified from the science fair, because they said having a younger sibling taste cat food was 'unethical'. Bullshit, if you ask me."

Rick chuckled and Jamie started to lick out the inside of the can, oblivious to how the others cringed.

Daryl took a bite and chewed, looking thoughtful. "It's not half bad. Tastes like bird shit, but if you don't really mind..."

"Swallow fast and it's alright." Jamie agreed.

"It actually has a nice aftertaste..." Daryl said, and Carol laughed at his expression.

"You two are something else..." she declared, and Carl looked over.

"Mind if I try some?" Carl asked.

"Carl- no." Lori said, putting her hand on her son's shoulder. "We don't eat THAT."

"But Mom- I'm hungry." Carl said quietly.

Jamie looked up, everyone did. Lori shook her head and turned away.

"Here. I been carrying this with me, figured I might need it some day." She tossed Carl a snickers bar, and he stared.

"Where'd you get it?"

"Found it while I was scavenging one day, 'fore I met you." she said.

"Thanks." Carl said, looking grateful, as he tore into it.

"We need to keep moving." Rick said. "There's no real food here, we can't hold out..."

"What we need is to find someplace by the woods, so we can hunt." Jamie said quietly. She'd started on her second can of cat food, now.

"Is that all you ever think about? Hunting?" Lori asked, and Jamie turned. Lori had been picking on her a lot lately, but she had to cut the woman some slack- she was pregnant and stressed about where she'd have the baby...

"Look lady, know you're pregnant and shit, but you don't need to talk to her like that." Daryl said. "You eat the shit we hunt, so I'd just be glad Jamie actually WANTS to risk her hide and get food for the group."

"So now you're going to give me a lecture in manners and gratitude? How ironic." Lori scoffed.

"Lori, I think you need to go calm down..." Rick said. He, too, had been getting fed up with his wife's behavior, but she was hormonal and stressed, so he'd been dealing with it as best he could. But it was grating on everyone's nerves.

"Are you telling me to take a timeout!?" Lori demanded. "I'm just trying to make sure this Hick doesn't go telling me useless shit..."

"Don't call my Dad that!" Jamie erupted suddenly.

Everyone stared. "Dad?" Beth asked.

Jamie nodded. "Hell, yeah. He done everything a Dad's s'pose to do... He went back for me when you bastards didn't, taught me to throw knives... He has every right to be called Dad." Jamie seethed, fists clenched, as she stared at Lori. "An' don't you EVER call him that again!"

Daryl was slightly shocked, but he felt honored. He'd thought of Jamie like a daughter for awhile now, and her calling him Dad seemed fitting. An affirmation she'd never leave him.

Lori snorted. "Really? Let me tell you then. He COULD be your daddy, but he isn't. Because he didn't FUCK your mother!"

"Shut up shut up shut up!" Jamie screamed, flying towards her. Daryl grabbed her and pulled her back, holding her as she squirmed.

"Jamie, Jamie, just calm down, Lori didn't mean it..." Rick said, shocked to see her fighting like this. But Lori was being such a bitch...

"Why you even defending her when she's carrying a baby that probably ain't even yours!?" Jamie screamed. And there was silence again.

Lori stared, shocked, blinking...

"That's right, bitch. I know the whole story. Andrea told me when I was out doin' watch duty with her. You fucked Shane for MONTHS. Guess it wasn't enough to fuck the sheriff, you just HAD to have the deputy too..."

"Jamie, stop." Carol said. Lori's eyes had filled with tears, now, and she backed up.

"Dammit, don't tell me you're gonna cry. Didn't cry when we lost Patricia, when we lost Andrea, when we thought Carl was gone. But you cry when I bring up how you FUCKED Shane? What the hell is wrong with you people?" She pulled free from Daryl, starting towards the door.

"Jamie, don't go out there." Rick said firmly. "You go out there, nobody's gonna come chase you down. We won't risk anybody else just because you decide to be a hothead and leave."

Jamie stopped dead. She was in front of the window now, and she made her choice, putting her fist through the glass and jumping out into the flower bed, starting down the road.

"Jamie, get back here!" Rick yelled.

"Fuck you." Jamie said, turning the corner and getting out of sight.

Rick swore pounding a fist on the windowsill. "Damn."

Lori started to cry, and Rick walked over and embraced her.

"Leave her behind." Lori said suddenly. "Don't let her come back. She's a bitch."

The others were struggling with the irony of the situation, now. Jamie was of more use than Lori, who was, as usual, complicating things.

Rick sighed. "If she's back by morning, when we move out, we'll let her stay with us. Daryl- you wanna go out after her?"

Daryl shook his head. "Ain't nowhere for her to go. She'll be back."

"There's a whole town for her to go through. She could be gone for hours." Hershel pointed out.

"No, she won't. She don't like towns- she'd rather be in the woods. She'll blow off steam for an hour or two max. She'll be fine. Now, I say we secure the basement for a place to sleep tonight..." and slowly, the activity started again. Daryl knew she'd be back by nightfall- she wouldn't want to risk sleeping without him near, and he wasn't worried about her in town. She could hold her own. He just hoped Lori's hormones stopped raging sometime soon- or he'd be tempted to go out after Jamie.

* * *

 

Jamie sighed angrily as she walked down the sidewalk of the town. Newspapers blew across the street, garbage was rotting in places... What she really needed was something to do. There was NOTHING for her here, no woods to hunt in, no abandoned cars to scavenge... She noticed a thrift store to her right and sighed, heading towards it. It was getting colder, she might as well...

The bell still rang when she opened the door, and she winced at the sound. Great. Just great. The lights were out, the place was deserted, but no walkers had come barreling towards her when the bell sounded, so it seemed relatively safe.

Still, it was dark in the rows further back. The ones near the huge storefront windows were illuminated by the light of day, and she gabbed a cart and started looking. A nice purple sweater- it reminded her if Carol, and she tossed it in the cart. A red jacket with a hood for Carl, a leather jacket for Rick... And gloves for Daryl. She noticed a baby bottle in the back, by the dishes, and headed towards it. It would be useful soon.

Just as she was reaching for it, she heard it. The moaning behind her- she turned to see a door to a storeroom, and milky eyes fast approaching her. She notched an arrow and let if fly, killing the walker. Still, who knew how many more walkers were in the back room- it had to be large back there, lots of room for surprises, and she grabbed the bottle, retrieved her arrow, and randomly grabbed some baby clothes she saw, throwing it into the cart and leaving.

She pushed the cart down the street, not sure where to go next. She stared up at the Walmart in front of her, wondering if she should go in or not.

There were walkers milling around the parking lot, so there would be even MORE inside. Some by the cart return gave her an idea.. She quickly shot one and dragged it behind a mini-van, slicing it open with her knife. Now came the gross part. She reached in with the hand that wasn't cut from punching through the window and tore out some putrid guts, taking off the jacket that had once belonged to Ryder and smearing them on her.

It smelled rancid, and her eyes watered slightly. "Don't be a pussy, there could be good stuff in there." she reminded herself. So she shoved her hand in again, ripping out what looked like a kidney and squeezing it above her her, rubbing the mess into her hair. She used the other kidney like a sponge, rubbing guts all over her. She slit the walker open even more and poured out some guts, rolling in them a little, before wrapping it's intestines around her neck for good measure. Rick had told her about doing this once before...

She entered then, still pushing the cart from the thrift shop. The walkers, amazingly, ignored her. She headed to the back, to the hunting section. One box of ammo was left, three hundred rounds, but she scrounged around under the shelving unit and found another box.

She slipped to the pharmacy, grabbing all the aspirin, fever reduces, and NyQuil she could, as well as bandage, before grabbing a trash bag from the aisle and heading for the checkout.

Lots of people had scavenged the aisles, but she had no interest in that- those who'd ventured in here before her had completely forgotten about the candy by the check out lines. She dumped the boxes that held them into the trash bag, struggling not to drool. Twix, Snickers, Hershey's, M&M's, Kit-Kats... There were so many, She even grabbed the gum and tic tacs, plus a few bags of cracker jacks...

But the rustling of all the wrappers seemed so loud to her, so she moved to the next checkout, this time dropping the whole boxes of candy in to cut down on noise. By that time, walkers had started venturing closer, so she dropped the bag in the cart.

She had a last-minute idea, though, and she forced herself to limp slowly back to the pharmacy. She grabbed three bottles of prenatal vitamins before limping back to the cart, struggling not to freak out. The walkers were in step with her now, drooling, snarling, but they seemed to still be falling for the guts act...

She started over to he cart, which had her bow, quiver, and coat in it, among other things. As soon as her hands closed on the plastic rail on top, she sprinted out.

Any walkers that had been following her couldn't keep up, and she was soon pushing her cart back towards the house, wondering what the'd think. She shouldn't have run off, but she'd been so goddamn pissed with Lori...

* * *

 

"Walker!" Beth pointed, looking scared, and Hershel held her.

"Wait a minute. It's pushing a shopping cart..." Carl said, looking skeptical.

"Hell, it's Jamie!" Daryl said, grinning. He opened the front door, and she pushed the shopping cart inside.

"Hey y'all. Got some stuff." She said, pushing it into the living room.

"You sure did..." Rick said, staring. She took the trash bag out and set it on the ground.

"What's in there?" Car asked.

"A surprise, I'll show it to you last. Carol- found you a sweater." she tossed it towards Carol. There were only a few guts on it from her touching it, and Carol smiled a her thoughtfulness. "Thank you, sweetie."

"No problem." she said, blushing and studying the floor.

She rummaged around again, tossing the leather jacket to Rick. "You always seemed like the bad boy type." she said, as if that explained everything, and Rick chuckled. Everyone else smiled a little...

"Daryl- got you leather gloves so your hands don't get numb when we're on the Harley."

"Thanks." Daryl said, ruffling her hair, which was crusted with walker guts.

"I... I got stuff..." she handed the baby clothes, a little monkey pair of footsie pajamas and a well worn Superman pair of footsies, to Lori, as well as the baby bottle and the prenatal vitamins. She did this all while looking awkward and not meeting her eyes...

"Thank you." Lori sad, looking down, slightly shocked Jamie would do this ofr her after what a bitch she'd been.

Jamie nodded and headed back towards the cart.

"Bandages, asprin, nyquil, and whatever other shit I could find." she said. Hershel smiled. "That's some good shit, as you call it." he said, and she beamed, looking proud.

"Found some ammo, too..." she handed the two boxes to Rick. "I know it ain't much..."

"It's better than nothing, and six hundred bullets is enough to keep us going." Rick assured her, and she nodded, looking relieved.

"What's in the bag?" Carl asked again.

Jamie beamed. "That's the best part. You ready for this?" she grabbed the bag, and Carl nodded eagerly. She dumped the entire contents out onto the floor, then, and Carl's eyes nearly popped out of his head...

The pile of candy was huge, Jamie had just grabbed as quickly as she could, not really thinking, but now as she and Carl stared at it, she realized she'd grabbed a hell of a lot of candy...

"Wow..." Car said, staring. He grabbed a pack f M&M's, staring. "How did yo get these?"

"No one checked the candy racks by the checkout, took what I could before the walkers heard the wrappers rustling..."

Carl grinned. "We're rich!" he said, throwing his hands in the air, and everyone laughed.

"This is like Halloween times ten..." Jamie agreed, eyes still wide.

"So let me get this straight- you covered yourself in walker guts so you cold break into an overrun Walmart and raid the CANDY?" Glenn asked.

Jamie nodded. "Pretty much. Got the other shit, but this, this is the Pièce de résistance, whatever the hell that is..." she said, and everyone chuckled. "I mean, look a it. Red dye, artificial flavors, riboflavin and other shit I have no idea what it is... it's like heaven!"

"We get it, Jamie." Daryl said, washing the cuts on her hand from where she'd punched through the window. "Just calm down, kid. I have to hose you off- you're stinking up the entire place. You smell like total shit." Daryl said. Yes, he was proud of his girl- she'd managed to not only have brawn, but brains out there, and they had enough food to last for a few days, maybe even a week if the rationed it right. But she still stunk to high heaven.

"Can I have some candy first?" she asked.

"No. Now go shower. There's still running water in the bathroom..." a minute later she was gone and the shower turned on.

Rick grabbed a Kit-Kat, Beth took a snickers, and everyone each grabbed a piece of candy.

"Still, you have to admit, she had guts, gong into Walmart like that. No pun intended." Glenn said, and Maggie smiled at him.

Rick nodded, looking down at the huge pile of candy thoughtfully.

"We'll have to ration it, everyone gets a piece or so per meal. When we find the woods and everyone can start hunting, we'll loosen that up a little, but until then everyone will have to get used to being hungry..."

Just then, Jamie ran out, soaking wet but somewhat clean, in her drenched clothes.

"You know when I said shower, meant take your clothes off and scrub down, right?" Daryl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't have time! I was afraid you guys were gonna eat all the peanut butter cups!" she said, pawing through the pile and grabbing a pack, breathing a sigh of relief.

"You really thought we'd ALL just take peanut butter cups and eat every single one in the five minutes it would take yo to have a real shower?" Rick asked, fascinated by twelve-year-old logic.

Jamie looked up. "Well, no... but, look. There are a lot of people in this group, and only so many peanut butter cups left in this world! And I must have them all! Or as many as possible." Jamie said, gnawing at one and smiling. "Mmm... I never thought I'd taste that again..." she finished the pack and grinned, looking like she'd never been that happy before in her life.

"Great. Well now we'll pack up the rest, since everyone's had some, and ration it..." Rick said, moving to put the candy back into the bag.

"Aww... But that's no fun. When you get candy, yo have to eat it all at once and get sugar drunk and puke it up. It's like alcohol." Jamie said, and Daryl laughed.

"Who taught you to drink? That's some bullshit philosophy right there... Now go shower. And wash your hair. It looks like wet straw." Daryl said.

Carl noticed the pack of M&M's in his pocket. "You chose M&M's?" he asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. Who DOESN'T like M&M's?" Daryl asked, looking a Carl like he was stupid.

"I only like the orange ones." Jamie said matter-of-factly.

"What the hell? They're all the same, Jamie." Daryl said.

"No. The orange ones are the best..."

"All M&M's taste the same." Daryl insisted.

Rick hid his grin behind his hand, and everyone watched, slightly entertained.

"Nope. The orange ones are superior..."

"Ever heard all men are created equal, kid?" Daryl asked. She nodded. "Well it's the same with M&M's. All M&M's are created equal."

"By that logic, M&M's should follow the law, since, like people, they're created equal. Meaning if somebody choked to death on an M&M, the M&M would be charged with murder and thrown in jail..." Jamie started.

"The hell? Who chokes on M&M's?" Daryl asked, looking confused. Everyone was laughing quietly, but Daryl and Jamie were both too enraptured in arguing to notice. "And even if some bastard DID choke on one, it's not like it's the M&M's fault..."

Everyone was cracking up, now, but the still didn't noticed.

"Asking who chokes on M&M's is like asking who believes in the zombie apocalypse. It happens when you least expect it." Jamie said, nodding. "Chew thoroughly, Daryl."

"Aren't you supposed to be getting a shower?"

"Not until you say orange M&M's are the best."

"Hell no." Daryl scooped her up and started towards the bathroom. "I ain't gonna say it, I'll just hose you down..."

A moment later there was a shriek and the sound of water running, but it wasn't loud, so no one was concerned about walkers.

"Jamie! What he hell!?" Daryl yelled. The both raced out a moment later, and Jamie dove behind Rick's chair. She was dripping wet, and she grabbed his hand.

"Save me!" she ordered, hiding behind him.

Daryl trooped out, dripping wet as well. He scowled at her. "You're a piece of work, kid, you know that?"

"Yeah. My teacher told me that once, before she retired in the middle of the year." Jamie said, and Daryl sighed, turning to go find a towel and dry off. But everyone was in much better spirits, now, and even Daryl was grinning as he left.


	18. Coonskin Cap

Daryl waited until she was asleep before pulling them out. The two raccoon skins he'd been tanning. It was what he'd been doing all those nights he was late coming to the fire, back at the farm.

He'd already fleshed the hides, then brain-tanned them so they were soft. He'd had them stretching on stick racks he'd made, hidden in the saddle bags of Merle's motorcycle, so he hadn't lost them when he left the farm.

On those nights when Jamie had been asleep in the tree, he'd sometimes stolen off, hoping to stumble on a raccoon... He had, finally, snared one so it hung high above the reach of walkers and managed to track and tree one himself. And there was a reason for it- Jamie.

He worked the hides in his rough, work-worn hands. Softening them. Soon he'd have to let them smoke, but for now, the more he worked them, the softer they became.

He'd come across more than a few walkers on these night ventures, but he'd carried on anyways.

And there was a reason why. Raccoons only came out at night- like walkers. They had to be cunning to survive- but so did the hunter. The hunter had to not only out think a coon, which in itself was a daunting task, since he had no dog to chase it down and tree it, but also had to be on the lookout for walkers. A raccoon pelt was more than a pelt- it was the symbol of the ultimate hunter.

He looked over at where Jamie was huddled against the basement wall, curled up on herself, slightly. She shivered. It was damp down here, and Daryl sighed. That was what the raccoon hides were for. But they weren't ready- not yet.

He still had to smoke them, and he worked them in the dark, listening to the night sounds, making sure everything was safe, before, after a few hours of working the hides between his hands, he hid them inside his vest and curled up beside Jamie, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 

It was two months later when it was finally done. Two grueling months. He'd managed to start a fire while Jamie slept, and, unnoticed, smoke the hides to deter months from eating them.

Then he'd spent countless nights cutting them into just the right shape, stitching crude stitches, since hell, he had no idea how to sew.

He'd found the spool of black thread in a house they'd stayed at, as well as the needle, which he kept in his pocket.

And it was that night, as the flames lept and flickered all around them. They stayed in the remains of the stone structure, around a blazing fire, with walkers no doubt closing in on them, that he managed to sew the final stitches.

"This is not a democracy anymore!" Rick yelled. "Now if anyone wants to go out and take their chances, go ahead! But I-I'm staying here. I got you this far- and I am NOT about to give up!"

Jamie was so busy watching as she sat, covered in walker blood and grime, that no one noticed when Daryl finally finished the last stitch and bit off the thread, fumbling to tie a knot.

"No takers? Good! T-Dog, Daryl, take the perimeter." Rick ordered.

Daryl nodded. "Jamie- come on." He said, looking over at her. She looked shocked- he hardly EVER let her come with him since she'd left the farm. It was growing constantly more dangerous.

But she wasn't about to argue, and she hurried over, scooping up her bow and arrows...

"Be careful." Carol said, blue eyes dull from exhaustion and showing her concern. Jamie nodded quickly before scampering out of camp after Daryl.

"I want to go too." Carl said, standing. He'd begun to feel more like a man as things had progressed, felt more responsible for what happened to the group.

"Your father isn't as dumb as Daryl." Lori said simply. She was round, very pregnant, the baby was do any day now- and they were all worried.

Lori felt the baby kick and sighed- this wasn't going to be easy.

* * *

 

"I wanted to give you something. When's your birthday?" Daryl asked, looking at her incredulously.

"May 21." Jamie said. It was February, now.

"Meh. Close enough." He pulled the cap from behind his back, gently placing it on her head.

"How... Where did you get the pelts?" Jamie asked, looking shocked.

"Back at the farm, while you were sleeping. Those nights I came late to the fire I was working on tanning them..."

Still, she stared. "But... His the hell did you do it? Snare them? You had no dog to tree them..."

"I went out during the night and would roam around a bit. Found a lot more walkers than I did coons, but I got 'em. Now you listen. That hat there is the symbol of dominance. You not only outsmart a coon, the smartest animal, but you do it while surviving walkers, which are everywhere, at night. The raccoon pelt is the symbol of the ultimate hunter. Someday, you'll go and take your own raccoons... Until then, you wear that hat." He said, feeling sentimental.

Jamie nodded, hugging him. "I love it." She said. And it was the truth. Though her hair had grown over the course of the winter, some places almost reached her shoulders, the raccoon tail on the cap still tickled her neck, but it was warm and smelled like Daryl, and she loved it.

Daryl nodded. They finished checking around the perimeter and both ducked back into the stone walls to see T-Dog had already returned.

"Everything alright out there?" Hershel asked, and Daryl nodded.

Carol smiled, seeing the cap. So that was why Daryl had taken her with him- to give her the gift in private. In truth, it was fitting for Jamie, she looked like Daniel Boone's daughter, and it also looked warm...

"Nice hat." Beth said, smiling in her good-natured way. "It looks pretty on you."

"Thanks." Jamie said, returning Beth's small smile with one of her own. On the farm, she hadn't really gotten to know Hershel or his family well, she'd spent most of her time with Daryl...

It was then she remembered it.

"I just remembered. While I was holed up in the house, during the firefight, I had to jump from the balcony, I was in your room, Maggie. I grabbed the first thing I could to take with me... It was this." She pulled the picture from her jeans pocket.

It was folded and creased, but it was all there.

"The frame broke on the way down, but I managed to get it... I'm real sorry I didn't give it to to y'all earlier, but I just forgot with everything that's been happening lately..."

Beth stared, eyes wide, and took the photo, unfolding it carefully. Maggie and Hershel all peered anxiously over her shoulder, watching the image unfold as the paper did...

Beth started to cry, hand to her mouth. "Maggie... It's mom..." She said, gasping.

And then Maggie was crying too, and Hershel held both girls close to him, looking very misty-eyed himself for a few moments.

Finally, he spoke, voice thick with emotion.

"Thank you, young lady... You gave me my family back..."

"Dad, look, it's Shawn..." Beth said.

Hershel turned, haze darting over, before turning to Jamie again.

"Just... Thank you."

Jamie shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "Ain't nothin. I jest grabbed what I could, needed somethin to cling to when I jumped..."

But everyone could tell it was more than that. That, even as she'd faced death and felt the terror that her life could be slipping through her fingers, she'd been cognizant enough to grab a keepsake for Hershel and his family...

"Jamie. Come on. Give them folks some privacy." Daryl said quietly, acting slightly uncomfortable as well. But he was proud of her quick thinking and bravery, though he didn't say it. There was so much he was proud of about Jamie...

He'd moved some dried leaves into a corner for as warm a bed as possible, and he draped his vest with the angel wings on the back of it over her as she curled up in the nest he'd made. Ryder's jacket wouldn't be enough to keep her warm, yet.

"Aren't you goin to bed, too?" Jamie asked, looking up at him with those tired green eyes.

"Soon. Don't trust this place- the woods has gotta be crawling with walkers. Go to sleep- I'll be along soon enough."

Jamie nodded, blinking sleepily and staring at the flames of the fire behind him. She was half asleep, wouldn't remember anything, and he kissed her forehead quietly before standing to take watch- it was going to be a long, cold night.


	19. Prison

"There. I'll close the gates. You draw as much attention as you can from the walkers on the fences. Daryl, Glenn, and Carol, you lay down cover fire. We'll clear the yard and work from there." Rick ordered.

Jamie nodded, finding an arrow and starting to go down the little fenced in aisle, rattling the fence.

"Come on you bastards!" She yelled, and a good amount started stumbling towards her.

Carl grabbed a piece of led pipe and hurried to join her, and Lori, Hershel, and the others hurried to join in.

Daryl gave one last look towards Jamie, smiling slightly. She didn't notice, she was too busy ripping her arrow from the head of a walker, but Daryl smiled as he headed up to provide cover fire. That was his girl.

It was later that night, as they sat around the fire in the field, when someone finally spoke if it.

"Where'd you get the hat?" Carl asked, and they all looked up. Jamie shrugged from where she'd been sharpening her knife. "Daryl gave it to me."

"Where'd Daryl get it is the question, then." Beth said, smiling in that way she had.

"Daryl made it, if y'all really wanna know." Daryl muttered. He looked over to see Jamie fumbling slightly with the knife.

"You're doin it wrong." He gently took them from her and started running it at the right angle. "Like that." He said, before handing it back to her.

She copied what he'd done, looking over at him for affirmation, and he nodded.

"Tomorrow we'll clear out a cell block." Rick announced. "Carve out a place for ourselves here. First, we'll clear out that yard, though..."

Beth shivered, and Carl moved closer to her, putting an arm around her shoulder. Thy shared a look, and Jamie felt something within her tighten. It was the same kind of look they'd shared when they kissed behind the barn...

She was in no way possessive, a lot could change over winter, but it still hurt to watch. She stood.

"Goin' to see if any of the walkers are still draggin themselves around." she said, not turning, but answering Rick's unasked question before letting the darkness swallow her up.

Daryl looked after her for a minute, wondering what had upset her. Hershel was watching Carl with some trepidation, but overall, the mood was positive.

"This could be the jackpot." Maggie said, smiling at Glenn. Glenn nodded. "Even if there is nothing, we're lucky we got the fences around this place."

* * *

 

Jamie looked down at the walkers around her, her eyes were adjusting. She was a hunter, she had night vision, and she stabbed one in the head, making sure it was dead, moving onto the next.

She felt better, making sure walkers were dead. It was what she did best, gave her time to process her emotions. Carl had made no advances since they left the farm, it was clear he wasn't interested in her. But still, it hurt to be rejected.

She stabbed another walker's head. She knew it was dead, but it made her feel better. She dragged the bodies of the ones she'd killed against the fence. They'd burn them in he morning, she figured.

She stabbed the next, dragging it, and the next...

Finally, she was done after an hour or so and headed back to the fire.

"They all dead?" Daryl asked as she returned to the fire, covered in fresh blood. She nodded, still slightly depressed. She swore to herself she wouldn't cry over Carl, though. He was just a stupid boy, it was a friggin apocalypse. She had bigger problems.

"We can run a canal through to get fresh water..." Glenn was saying. Beth and Carl were both laying back, staring at the stars. Jamie sighed, laying her head against Daryl, who put an arm around her.

"Funny." She muttered, tired.

"What's funny?" Rick asked, looking at her.

"My Dad always used to joke I'd end up in prison for doing something like brining my gun with me everywhere..."

Rick chuckled, amused.

"We can plant crops..." Hershel said, but that was all she heard by then, before she was asleep.


	20. Meet the Convicts

The next day was packed. They distracted walkers while Glenn, Maggie, Daryl and Rick cleared the courtyard, dragged bodies over to burn with T-Dog, and did everything.

Still, Jamie couldn't help but feel a stab of regret when she saw Beth and Carl together.

They took cell block D, and started choosing cells.

Daryl looked around, disgusted. "I ain't sleepin' in no cage..."

"I'll take the floor." Jamie said, finding her place under the staircase. She set her bow down and dropped her quiver, taking off her belt and sat back against the wall, smiling.

"I'll take the perch." Daryl said, climbing up.

Jamie watched as Beth and Carl laughed. It looked like they'd take a cell together, until Hershel came in and Carl quickly left.

Rick was already talking with Daryl as they cleared out a cell with the most intact tolite and sink.

"We'll use this as a community bathroom..." Rick was saying. Jamie entered and looked around. There was blood EVERYWHERE.

"Somebody clearly don't know how to use a damn tampon." she muttered, looking around,and Daryl started to laugh.

Jamie shrugged. "What? Looks like some chick bled all over the place..."

Maggie chuckled at her observation, and Jamie sighed, walking out, back to her place under the stairs. She liked it- it was cozy. Everyone was busy dragging walker bodies out, and she noticed Beth was alone in her cell. She took advantage of the opportunity, entering quietly.

Beth looked up from where she'd been scrawling something down in what looked like a journal, smiling.

"Hi Jamie. You need something?" She asked in her normal, good-natured way.

She nodded, leaning against the door frame. No one was listening, and she spoke quietly.

"It's about Carl."

"Carl? What?" Beth asked, looking confused.

"He's- look, I've seen the looks you've been giving each other. I'm not blind. And it's nice. Nice you found each other, I mean. But... On the farm... He was like that with me too."

Beth looked confused, and she sighed. Normal, good natured Beth, always seeing the best in people.

"What I'm trying to say is... Just be careful, alright? He kissed me and stuff, but apparently it didn't mean much, since he moved on... Just... Ugg. This is so hard to explain." Jamie said, looking frustrated. Beth was looking at her, forehead creased as she tried to understand, listening intently.

"Carl is nice. Don't get me wrong. But hormones and shit... They do things to his people. I don't wanna see anyone get hurt, is all, so... Be careful."

Beth smiled. "I appreciate your concern, Jamie, but Carl would never hurt ANYONE..."

"That's what you think, Beth. Not what you know. And you're so nice to everyone, just... Don't let anyone take advantage of you. Promise me."

Beth still looked confused, but she nodded. "Sure, if you want me to, I'll be careful..."

"Thanks for hearing me out. Just wanted to be sure you knew." She said, before she turned and left the cell.

She could already see Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, Maggie, Glenn, and Hershel gearing up to go down into the tombs.

"Carl- take care of them." Rick ordered. Hershel was heading towards Beth's cell to kiss her goodbye.

"Jamie. Take care of Carol." Daryl ordered. Jamie nodded, embracing him and burying her face in his chest for a moment.

"Don't be like that. I'll be back soon. Look out for them." Daryl said, and she nodded. And then they'd descended into the tombs, and they were alone.

Jamie looked around. Alone, really alone, with Lori, Carol, Beth, and Carl, the ones who would be more of a hindrance than a help. Well, accept her and Carl, maybe. But someone had to protect the weak.

She looked around. Bullets were dwindling, they were running out of food... How was she supposed to protect these people from a horde if they didn't have any ammo? Arrows could only go so far.

And that was when it hit her. Prisons had armories. Armories had bullets. And by the looks of things, they REALLY needed bullets. She looked over. Carl could handle things here, she decided...

She slipped up into cell block A. It was silent here, all silent, until... a walker that only had a torso dragged itself towards her, and she strode forward, stepping on it's head, squishing the brains out...

And then the thunder of moans. Walkers from the cells all approaching, fast. Hands reached out, trying to get to her, walkers, all walkers. They frothed at the mouth, bloody drool poured onto the floors... Decaying hands reached towards her, it was a wall of horror...

She was off and running, then, away from the awful cells. She didn't stop until she was away from the reaching walkers. She stared, shocked, before finally standing, back against the door to the next room, gasping.

It was okay. It was safe. They were behind bars, they couldn't reach her...

The door behind her swung back, suddenly, she was stumbling into a walker's grasp...

The hand on her shoulder went to pull her back but she whirled, sinking her knife into it's head. She breathed heavily, gasping... She was towards the administrative building, which was adjoined to the building...

She grabbed her bow, notching an arrow and moving carefully...

Another walker came crawling, and she stomped it's head in. There was the office door, now...

She kicked it open and locked eyes with the walker sitting at the desk, firing off the arrow into his head before he could move. Two guards stood in front of a door, and she fired another arrow at the first walker, kicking the other back and bringing her knife into it.

She shut the door and barricaded it with a chair, looking down at the walkers. She found a handgun on each guard and moved towards the door they'd been guarding. The armory. It was locked, but she found the key on the first walker she'd killed and opened the door.

She stared. 4 Handguns, 1 semi-automatic rifle, 2 shotguns, a few cans of mace and bullets... She grabbed a duffel bag and loaded it all into it, zipping it... It was heavy, she loaded a pistol and shoved it into her back pocket, moving into the room with dead walkers before moving.

* * *

 

Rick had locked the prisoners in the other room now, and hurried to attend to Hershel with the others... When they'd managed the bleeding, Daryl spoke up.

"Where's Jamie?"

* * *

 

She ducked out of the armory into the office, hearing the banging on the door she'd shoved the chair against.

She stared, draping her bow over her shoulder by the string and reaching to

The walkers stumbled in, at least four of them, and she let the bullets fly. When the walkers fell she moved, grabbing the gun bag and rushing towards the hallway. All the walkers in the building had heard her, now, they'd be behind her...

* * *

 

They all heard the shots.

"JAMIE!" Daryl yelled. He grabbed his crossbow, racing towards the door to Cell block A...

"Daryl!" Rick tackled him to the ground. "We don't know what's in there!"

Jamie had heard Daryl's yell as she dragged the heavy gun bag behind her. The walkers were trailing her into the hallway, at least fifteen...

"Daryl!" She yelled, firing off a few more rounds into the walker's heads.

She came back to the hallway that led cell block A door. The walkers in the cells had heard the shots, arms and dead arms reached out from the cells, blocking her escape...

"Jamie!" Daryl screamed, horrified, as he stared through the wired door. He stared, horrified, at the sea of hands reaching from the bars...

"Open the door, Rick!" Daryl ordered, slightly frantic.

Rick fumbled with his keys, and Jamie crawled under the hands, gun bag dragging behind her, strap held in her teeth.

Daryl opened the door and dragged her through, and Jamie fumbled around, making sure the gun bag had made it.

"What the hell was that!?" Daryl demanded.

Jamie was covered in walker blood and catching her breath. She swallowed.

"I raided the armory." She got out.

Just then, the walkers that'd been trailing her through the hallway fought through the arms and reached the door, grabbing the wall and frothing...

Daryl turned his back to them, shielding Jamie as much as possible, moving away from the door.

Rick scooped up the gun bag and Daryl carried her down the stairs. Rick was going through the bag by the time he set her down.

"I told you to stay here! You could've died!" Daryl yelled.

"I was trying to grab some ammo- we were almost out." Jamie said, looking at him, confused.

"I don't give a damn! You see those walkers up there!? They could've got you!"

"Dad. Hershel won't stop bleeding!" Carl yelled.

"What? What happened to Hershel?" Jamie asked.

"Get in the cell. Don't come out until I tell you to." Daryl growled, frustrated.

She obeyed. The convicts had headed into the room between cell blocks, now, were looking around.

Rick bargained and they got half their food for helping them clear a cell block. She curled into a ball and cried quietly when she heard the clang of the prison door. Daryl had left her here, and he hadn't even said goodbye.


	21. Making Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Jamie make up after the fight they'd jus had, and share a father/daughter moment

"Jamie. Hey, Jamie. Wake up." Daryl whispered, shaking her slightly. Jamie started- at some point in time, she must've cried herself to sleep.

"Hey. It's lunch time. Come on."

She shook her head, curling back up and putting her head down.

"Don't be like that. Get up." Daryl ordered.

"No. Leave me." Jamie snapped.

Daryl stopped and turned, heading in for lunch. Jamie stood and strode into the prison yard, feeling the grass beneath her feet and looking around.

Daryl sat down in their make-shift kitchen, but suddenly he wasn't very hungry. He stood, looking out after Jamie in the yard.

"Jamie. Come on, kid, we can't just keep acting like this is nothing. Jamie!" He got frustrated, then, when she didn't respond, and stalked into the yard. "Hey! I'm talkin to you, Jamie!" He placed a heavy hand on her shoulder and she whirled. Daryl stepped back, surprised to see her face streaked with tears.

"Jamie?" He asked quietly.

"You didn't even say goodbye." She sobbed out. "Before you ran off with the guys. You just left- you could've d-died..." and she started to back up.

"Jamie. Please, I- I'm sorry." Daryl said. "I just... When I heard those shots... I figured you were a goner. And when you came back, I was so pissed because you could've DIED." Tears WERE actually streaming down his face.

"I only went to look for ammo. I was trying to protect Carol." She said, sniffing.

"I know, baby girl, I know, and I- I'm sorry."

And with those words, she ran to him, hugging him.

Daryl sank to his knees, pulling Jamie close to him.

"I was so scared..." She admitted. "When all those walkers came. I... I could imagine you... finding what was left of me... And I realized... I realized there was no one to save me if I needed it."

Daryl stared, stroking the raccoon fur hat she was still wearing.

"It's okay to be afraid, Jamie. You just gotta remember to be brave. NEVER stop fighting until you're dead. Give it all you got. And don't you EVER scare me like that again, okay?"

Jamie nodded, still clinging to him. "P-promise me... Promise me you'll say goodbye... Don't just leave..."

"I promise, baby girl. But you STAY with the group when I'm gone. I can't always protect you..."

Jamie nodded, but she still clung to him.

"You wanna go inside?" Daryl asked quietly.

"Not yet." Jamie said quietly. Carol watched from the doorway, smiling. They were back.


	22. Hunt Gone Awry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A routine hunt for our duo doesn't go as planned.

"Jamie! Come on, kid." Daryl said, handing her her bow.

"Where we headed?"

"Woods. Hunting. We might have food now, but winter will come. Need to start storing food. 'Sides, I wanna get a lay of land."

Jamie nodded, and they started out, slipping through the hole they'd cut in the fence.

The nearby walkers came, and Jamie stared. At least fifteen walkers had been drawn nearby the fence as a result of the gunshots of them clearing the yard yesterday. And they'd noticed them.

"C'mon." was all Daryl said, jogging towards the treeline.

She nodded, notching an arrow and racing across the bridge into the forest. Daryl hustled her ahead of him, keeping an eye on the walkers.

But as soon as they were in the safety of the woods, they fell into step again, side by side.

The woods melded with them and they fell into sync, speaking with their eyes instead of words.

Daryl tapped his ear, and she nodded. He was telling her to listen...

She turned left and pulled back, letting her arrow fly into a walker's head. He nodded his approval and she went to retrieve her arrow.

They looked around carefully before moving on. Daryl tracked game through the woods while Jamie made sure no walkers got him. He motioned to her, pointing at the ground.

"Fawn tracks. See how they're wet?"

She nodded. "Fresh."

"Exactly. If we see them, I'll shoot the doe while you get the fawn."

She nodded. If this were back at the farm, he'd have let her go for the doe, but she knew the doe had the most meat and was critical. The fawn would be a plus, if she could hit it...

Daryl stumbled on a root, then, and gasped...

"What happened?" Jamie demanded, looking worried.

"Knife..." Daryl muttered, face scrunched in pain.

She looked down, horrified, to see the knife had somehow gone THROUGH the sheath and into Daryl's thigh...

He pulled it out, tearing off part f his jeans and tying it around the wound.

"We have to get back." he managed.

Jamie nodded, slinging the large arm of his shoulder. It was slow going, but what was killing her was the fact that Daryl was in so much pain. She could see it on his face... It was after an hour of painful stumbling they reached an uprooted tree, roots shrouded by vines, like a make-shift lean to, that would provide some shelter, and she eased Daryl into it.

"Stay here. I'll scout ahead, see if I can find the trail we took."

Daryl nodded, still looking pained and nervous. "You be careful, alright?"

She nodded, noting the cloth around his leg was blood-soaked and slicing into the leg of her jeans, placing a new cloth over it and moving Daryl's hand to hold it.

He gave her a smile that doubled as a grimace, and she nodded to him, before hearing what sounded like noise off to the right... She moved soundlessly, finding a clearing about thirty feet away, with at least a dozen walkers stumbling towards them...

She turned, hurrying back to where she'd left Daryl. He was in no condition to run or fight, but she had a fleeting idea...

"Walkers. At least a dozen, coming here. You stay here, I'll, lead them off..." she started.

"Hell no!" Daryl said, staggering to he feet, using his crossbow like a crutch. She didn't have time for this. She moved to collide with him, knocking him down. She got on top of him, scrambling and slamming the flat end of her hatchet into his temple, knocking him out. She had to keep him safe.

Still, she traced the blood that came from the small cut the blunt end of her hatchet had opened on his head, vision blurring from tears.

"Stay here. I love you, Dad..." she choked out, planting a kiss on his cheek and standing, putting the hatchet in her belt. She knew what she had to do.

She stumbled out from the cover of the vines, she could hear the walkers, they were getting close...

She pulled out her knife, dragging it horizontally across her inner arm. Rivers of blood began to flow, but it wasn't good enough. She raked it across again, and then across her palm, so fresh blood was all over her arm, dripping...

The first walker came, then, staggering into the clearing.

"COME AND GET ME, YOU BASTARDS!"


	23. Running Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie must deal with a dangerous situation by herself.

Rick looked up, uneasy. "The should've been back by now." he said. It was almost dusk, he was worried. It wasn't like Daryl to stay out late, especially when they were in new territory...

"I'm just going to make sure they're alright." Rick said in response to Lori's glare, before heading into the woods. He sucked at tracking, but it was spring, the ground was wet, and he easily followed the foot-prints. He stared, horrified, when he saw all the footprints melding... like a horde had come through here.

The trail went cold at the brush pile, and Rick stared feeling his stomach drop. It WAS dusk, now, and he felt dread settle in the pit of his stomach...

"Daryl? Jamie?"

He heard Daryl moan and was instantly starting inside, finding Daryl unconscious on the ground.

"Daryl. Hey buddy..." he stared at the bloody rag tied around Daryl's leg, tapping his friend's cheek, shocked...

"Jamie... Jamie, no..." Daryl muttered.

"Daryl." He looked outside. It was getting to be night, now.

He pulled out his canteen, splashing some water on Daryl's face, and his eyes flew open.

"Jamie!"

Rick had his hand over Daryl's mouth in a second. "Daryl. It's night. We have to get back to the prison."

Daryl shook his head. "Jamie. Where's Jamie?"

"She came back to camp." Rick lied, knowing if he didn't say it, Daryl would insist on staying, looking for her, and get himself killed.

Daryl, bleeding and exhausted, didn't question him until they stumbled back into the prison. Everyone stood outside, by the campfire Hershel had started, waiting.

"Where's Jamie?" Daryl asked hoarsely.

"Jamie never came back..." Carol said, looking confused.

Realization hit Daryl like a ton of bricks.

"You said she came back!" He'd slammed Rick against the fence with surprising strength, considering his condition, and was seething at him...

"You needed medical attention. If I told you she was still out there, you would've gone and gotten yourself killed."

Slowly, Daryl pulled back, stumbling on his bad leg. He clung to the fence wall. "Jamie! Jamie!"

"Daryl, stop." Everyone listened to Hershel, he was the voice of reason. "Let me fix you up, and then we'll search for her in the morning."

Daryl shook his head. "A herd was coming through... She was gonna lead them away, I tried to stop her, but she knocked me out... She led them away."

"We can't worry about that now. It's up to her if she makes it or not." Hershel untied the bloody rags, and Daryl didn't react, looking off into the night. He looked over at Rick.

"You were there. How bad was it? How many came through?" he asked, looking at Rick with all the hatred he could muster. The man had LIED to him, and now as a result, Jamie was alone in the wood.

Rick shook his head. "It didn't look good."

"Daryl, this leg... you won't be able to walk for awhile." Hershel said.

"I'm GOIN' to look for her tomorrow." Daryl said firmly.

"No, you aren't." Carol said.

"So you're just gonna make me leave her there? Leave her out like this, alone? Until one day she turns up on the fence, just like Sophia..." Daryl looked off into the darkness, something none of them had ever seen in his expression- it was despair.

"Come on inside." Lori said, trying her best to be comforting. But she, too, was dreading the day when Jamie would turn up on their fence, a walker...

"No. I'm gonna be here if she makes it back." Daryl said, staring at the fire. "She's still alive."

Rick sighed. "Daryl, her chances... it really didn't look good."

"She had her bow with her. She's gonna come back here, alive, somehow."

* * *

 

She was running, tearing through the woods, still. She'd been leading them away from Daryl, but as night fell, they grew more ravenous, and seemed to speed up. She'd thought she could outrun them, but she was wrong. She was exhausted, now, stumbling, she needed to find cover...

Finally, she came across a tree with branches low enough and swung up to it as the walkers came. She climbed out of reach, leaning her back against the trunk, staring up a the sky, gasping for breath.

The walkers below clawed at the tree bark- with the noise they were making, it would attract every walker in the forest to join them...

She had seven arrows, and was facing more walkers than that. She took aim down below and missed, sinking one in the shoulder. She took a shaky breath. Six arrows. She was exhausted.

She wondered if giving up was such a bad thing, there was no guarantee Daryl had made it out of this, either...

_Don't be a pussy._

She remembered Daryl's words and smiled.

She hung her bow on a tree limb. There was no way she would shoot worth shit while she was this shaky and tired, anyways. She grabbed an arrow, clinging to a branch for support, waiting for the right moment as they clawed at the tree bark, before stabbing one through the head, pulling out her arrow in one swift motion . Blood splattered on her face, but she didn't care. She smiled. One down, a bunch more to go.

Finally, she sat, panting, in the blessed silence, crumpled walkers all around the base of the tree. She'd found different branches to hang on, different places t lure them into, every had hole, every crevice, and they were dead. Well, dead-er, anyways. She fond a forked branch and clung to it. She had an hour or two before dawn, she could finally get some damn sleep.

* * *

 

Hershel, Rick, and T-Dog had elected to stay up with Daryl, and he sat by the fire. He put his hands to his lis in an intricate way and let loose a bird call.

"Man, why you keep doin that?" T-Dog asked, looking over at him.

"She knows my birdcall." Daryl said absently stared off into the darkness, and they faded into silence once again, only interrupted every so often by Daryl's bird calls, which went unanswered.

She awoke in the gray light of dawn, wondering which direction to go in. The ground had eased from soft mud to rocky soil, so there were no tracks, and she'd been too busy running for her life yesterday to draw up a map.

The prison was to the North, if she remembered right, and she looked at the fading stars desperately. She swore the big dipper was up there, and the North star had pointed... that way. Plus, the sun was rising in the east, so that was west, and North and south...

She grabbed her bow and jumped down, smiling when she landed on a walker carcass with a satisfying thud.

* * *

 

Daryl stood at dawn. "I'm going after her."

"Son, you're in no condition to..." Hershel started.

"I ain't your damn son. Piss off, all of y'all. If you don't care about Jamie, fine. But I'm going for her." He tried to shoulder his crossbow, but his injured leg gave out, and he barely caught himself on the fence.

"Daryl!" Carol rushed to his side, but he pushed her away.

"Get away from me! Dumb bitch..." The others had come out for breakfast, now, and were watching it play out. Daryl didn't care if they saw him weak like this... He could just imagine Jamie out there, alone, scared...

He knew there was no way he was going to take his crossbow, but he didn't need it. He started limping towards the gate.

"Daryl, you can't be serious..." Glenn said. "Think this through!"

"Fuck off!" Daryl said.

"If she's so redneck, why are you so anxious to go find her? She should be fine on her own." Lori said, trying to appeal to logic and comfort Daryl.

"From what she said, a herd was coming through. More walkers than she thought her and I could handle TOGETHER. She knocked me out and led them off. Now she's facing more walkers than we could handle combined, on her own. Fuck yes, I'm worried!"

"And what if she's already killed them off? Maybe she climbed a tree and picked them off." Rick said.

"If she managed that, then she's probably headed back here..."

"How many walkers were there?" Lori asked, looking at Rick.

Rick studied he ground. "Judging by the footprints, at least a dozen."

"She's dead, then." Lori said flatly. "We lost another one."

"She's gone?" Beth looked horrified. She started to cry, and Hershel hugged her. "And Daddy, you shouldn't be up..." she looked at his leg stump, and Hershel shrugged. "A man has gotta do some things, Bethy." and she cried harder.

Maggie was blinking hard, and Glenn came and hugged her, as well...

Carl looked into the distance, blinking hard. He'd had more feelings for Beth than Jamie, true, but she'd been there, constantly, like Daryl... She was one of those people you thought it impossible to loose. But here they were.

* * *

 

"Fuck." Jamie swore when a walker emerged from the brush, pulling back and firing, hitting it in the head.

Cautiously, she approached it. She noticed the cross necklace it wore... it looked like something T-Dog would like, and she fumbled with the clasp.

A walker came from the brush to her right, no big deal, she could outrun it...

And another walker to her left. She gave up, pulling her knife and hacking the whole head off the damn walker, getting the necklace and racing into the brush, away from the walkers. She pocketed the necklace. If T-Dog didn't like it, then Carol might, or Lori...

She lost the walkers, finally, finding a stupid rabbit that had hopped into her path and putting as arrow into it. She gutted it as she walked, when another walker came out of a tent to the right. She barely had time to react, putting the knife she'd been using for gutting through its head.

It was harder traveling when she had no one to watch her back, but she was pissed off, now. She reached into the rabbit, pulling out some bloody meat and fairly painting her face in blood before eating it, blood trickling down her chin. No more fucking around. She was getting back to the prison if it killed her.

Daryl didn't go out to look for her. He didn't search. The others wouldn't let him. That was one part of it. And he was also afraid of what he'd find. But he wanted to know, and as soon as his leg healed enough, he'd go out and look. But part of him still expected her to come running over and tackle him, to wrestle like they'd done at the farm, to share a rabbit kidney with him, or to crack some racist jokes because she knew that even though he wasn't racist, they made him laugh.

She'd saved him, running off, leading the herd away... Why'd she have to be so damn brave? He'd spent the day walking the fence line, letting off bird calls, praying each time for the answer that never came.

As afternoon turned to dusk, he noticed the others giving him pitying glances. He returned them with all the hatred he could muster, until they'd be forced to look away...

Daryl let off another call when dark was finally setting in.

* * *

 

Jamie had been looking for a tree to hole up in when she heard it. The birdcall in the distance.

She put her hands to her lips, letting off a reply, running towards the source of the sound, hoping it was the right direction...

* * *

 

"Daryl. You need to eat something." Rick said, coming over with a plate of food. Despite having the cell block, they gathered in the yard to make a cooking fire every night, it reminded them of the farm.

Daryl stared. He'd heard it.

"Open the gate!" He yelled. Carl stared, shocked, but saw the fierce expression on Daryl's face and hurried to obey...

Walkers were coming now, they'd heard her birdcall, but she ran to the bridge across the little moat, coming face-to-face with a walker. She put her foot nit's chest and shoved it into the water, then kept running for the gate...

"Carl, close the gate! Are you trying to get us killed!?" Rick demanded. Carl kept the gate open a little, daring to hope...

"Jamie! Where are you, kid!?" Daryl yelled.

Rick was about to chalk it up to insanity when he heard the reply in the distance.

"Here!"

"Get to the gate!"

She was sprinting towards it, now, and Rick stared, shocked. Daryl grabbed the sheriff's pistol, laying down cover fire on the walkers following her by shooting them through the fence, stealing their attention with the loud gun.

Carl fairly grabbed her, pulling her in, slamming the gate on the walkers and chaining it closed.

"You're... alive?" Carl asked, staring at her, shocked.

"No shit, Sherlock. Good to see you." she smiled, before heading towards Daryl.

She hugged him with all her might. If she'd come back to find he hadn't made it, she'd have been lost...

Daryl stared at her, reaching out to run his knuckles down her filthy cheek, as though making sure she was real.

"What? Have a little faith, man..." But she was smiling. Everyone sitting by the fire stood, shocked, as she walked up.

"What? You guys are looking at me like I just came back from the dead." Jamie said, looking from face to face. Daryl laughed slightly, and Beth ran forward, hugging her.

"How'd you do it?" she asked.

Hershel came over on his crutches to stare at her.

Jamie shrugged, sitting down, but Hershel grabbed the arm she'd cut. She winced, pulling away, and everyone was so fixated on her no one noticed the concern etched onto Daryl's face.

"Better let me bandage those cuts, young lady..." Hershel said. His crutches on the concrete were the only sound for a moment as he went for the first aid kit.

Glenn spoke first, grinning. "Great to have you back..."

"I never left." she said, looking confused.

She looked at Daryl, then back at the group. "You guys thought I was dead?"

"Well, we didn't really have any other options. I mean, all those walkers after you, we just figured..." Carl, too, was staring.

"I'd be dead?" Jamie asked, looking at Rick, who sheepishly nodded. She shrugged. " 'S all right. I thought I was dead for a bit, too, when I climbed that tree..."

"Mind starting from the beginning? I want to get this all down..." Beth had her diary out, now, and was looking excited. Everyone stared.

"What? This is huge. My earlier entry said she was dead, I want to clear it up, and the story... it's one for the history books. When they write about us, after this is all over." Beth said.

"Beth, honey..." Lori said, trying to be gentle. "It might NEVER be over."

"It has to end somehow." Jamie said quietly. "I mean, those walkers... They have to eat. Eventually, they'll run out of people and starve, right? I mean, they have to die sometime. There has to be a point where they decay so much..."

"There most likely is." Rick said. "But that doesn't mean it'll be in our lifetime, or yours..."

"But there's hope. That's what matters. That's all we need to keep going." Beth said, smiling. "Now, Jamie, why don't you start out from the beginning?"

Hershel had come, and was scrubbing the blood and grime away from the cuts. Jamie nodded.

"Alright... Daryl's knife went through his sheath and stabbed him in the leg, we were trying to get back. I scouted ahead and found a herd of walkers coming toward us, I knew with Daryl's leg messed up we couldn't fight them..."

She waited for Beth to catch up. She was writing furiously, but she couldn't write as fast as the words were spoken. Beth looked up and nodded for Jamie to continue when she was ready.

"Daryl was settled under a bunch of vines around a fallen tree, they gave him cover. I told him I would lead them off, but he was being a dumb ass..." she eyed Daryl at this point, who rolled his eyes, and the others laughed a little. "He was all, 'no, you can't, you'll die!'," everyone smiled slightly. Her impression of Daryl's voice was just a deep, odd sounding one.

"And I was all, 'Ain't nobody got time for dis!'" she said, using the same tone of voice Sweet Brown would've used. Rick laughed.

"That is not what happened." Daryl muttered, though he was looking mildly amused.

"Basically, it is. I edited the dialogue. So anyways, Daryl was being stupid and we couldn't run or fight, so I knocked him out, ran out from the cover, and slit my arm open so they'd smell the blood. I started screaming to attract them, and took off, leading them away."

"I take it that's why I'm cleaning these cuts?" Hershel asked, and she nodded, wincing when Hershel moved to the one on her palm.

Daryl unconsciously stepped a little closer, making sure Hershel hadn't screwed up that badly...

"There's rocks in the cut. Maggie, bring me the forceps." Hershel ordered.

Rick stared at the fresh blood trickling down her hand and arm.

She took a breath. "So... I just led them on as long as I could. I got tired, started stumbling, around dusk, but I found a tree and climbed... I shot at one, but my hands were shaking, I couldn't aim right..."

Everyone was on the edge of their seats, now, though they tried not to show it.

"Then what?" Beth asked gently.

"I thought about giving up. I had six arrows left, there were nine walkers. I wondered if Daryl made it out, and I wondered it if would hurt much if I let hem tear me apart..."

The firelight reflected the horror on everyone's faces, except for Daryl. He was watching her intently, unbeknownst to her, seeing what she would say next.

"And then I remembered something Daryl told me."

Everyone looked over at Daryl for a moment, before Rick looked back to her.

"What'd he say?" Rick asked.

"Don't be a pussy." Jamie said.

Rick chuckled, and Daryl shrugged. "What? It worked, right? Words of wisdom, right there..."

"So I grabbed an arrow and stabbed the hell outta them. I got a few hours of sleep and left in the morning, used the stars to find where North was, and came back this way. I killed some walkers on the way here. Got this off one of 'em, figured you'd like it, T." she handed the necklace to T-Dog, who smiled.

"How'd you get all the blood on your face?" Carl asked.

She shrugged. "Got pissed, walkers kept bugging me. It's not blood, it's war paint."

Rick chuckled. "You eat anything all day?"

She nodded. "Some rabbit."

"How come we didn't see the smoke from your cooking fire?" Lori asked.

Jamie smiled. "Cuz I ate it raw. Wanted to get back by dark, didn't have any time to cook." she laughed at the expression on Lori's face.

"These will need stitches. And we don't have any painkiller." Hershel said.

"Aspirin, maybe?" Maggie suggested.

"Won't get rid of the feeling."

"Fuck, just do it." Jamie said. "Or I can. I had stitches before, Ryder had to sew me up a few times. Get it over with."

Hershel nodded. "It might be best if you don't watch..."

"I killed thirteen walkers and gut a rabbit today. I don't think it'll hurt me to watch." Jamie said, sighing.

"What did you do after you got the necklace?" Beth asked.

"I kept heading North. I was looking for a place to settle up for the night when I heard Daryl and came in."

She looked down to see Hershel starting to stitch. Carol brought her a bowl of turkey Chili, it'd been on the shelves of the pantry, and it'd been what they were having for dinner that night.

"Thanks." Jamie nodded to Carol, who smiled, ruffling her hair. "It's just good to have you back."

"Weren't you scared? I mean, alone in the woods..." Beth said.

Jamie shrugged. "Meh. Not really. Harder without Daryl to watch my back, but I've been lost in the woods before."

"In New York, or South Carolina?" Rick asked.

She smiled. "Both. I get around. Once in New York, in a blizzard, and for three days in a state park in South Carolina when my school field trip to a state park went to hell."

"Nine days while Merle was in juvie. Got poison ivy all over my ass." Daryl said.

Jamie laughed. "Yeah. All the kids at school made fun of me, calling me a hick after that state park incident. But oh well. They're all dead, now, being a redneck is the only thing that saved me. And you." she looked up to Daryl, smiling, and he felt shock hit him hard.

"You did that. And you saved my ass out there." Daryl said, and she shrugged. "Nothing you wouldn'ta done."

"So you just... go out in the woods?" Maggie asked.

Jamie nodded. "A lot better than staying in this zoo. Everybody all caged up like animals..." she looked disgusted. Just then, Carol walked over with a wet washcloth, sighing.

"Let me get all that grime off your face, and that blood..."

"No. It's warpaint." Jamie said firmly. Hershel smiled, but didn't look up from where he'd been stitching.

"Daryl, talk some sense into her. It's filth." Carol said.

Daryl shrugged. "Let the kid keep it on if she wants to. She worked hard to kill that rabbit, she can cover herself in blood if she wants to."

Carol gave him a withering look and Daryl shrugged. "What? I'm the official Jamie keeper, remember?"

He caught a cold glance from Jamie. "What?"

"I ain't nobody's bitch."

"I never said you were my bitch. I'm the only one here that gets you." Daryl said, shocking everyone.

"Better..." she growled.

"Done. Done stitching, anyways. But knowing you, you'll come back covered in dirt. We have to keep these cuts clean. Maggie, bring me some gauze..." Hershel ordered.

He taped it around the wound. "Better?"

"Hurts like hell, but at least I ain't bleeding all over the place." Jamie said, nodding to him. "Thanks."

Everyone still stared at her, shocked.

She looked around her. "You guys really thought I'd go off and die that quietly? Hell no. I wanna go out like my grandpa, screamin' all the way. 'Get this damn satellite dish off me!'" she imitated it, and everyone burst out laughing.

"Yeah. He shouldn't have tried to install that satellite dish in the middle of a wind storm." Jamie said, sighing. She was still smiling, though.

"Wait. Aren't you sad, though? I man, you grandpa DIED." Beth said, looking shocked.

Jamie nodded. "Yeah. I wish he hadn't suffered for those few hours in the hospital, but I'm glad he died when he did. Otherwise, he'd be a walker somewhere."

She finished the bowl of chili, licking the sauce off the bottom. No one reprimanded her, since food was in such short supply, table manners were the least of their concern.

"Well, anyways, 'm gonna hit the sack. I'm dead ass tired." she stood, walking inside the cell block. There was the clink of dishes in the sink, she was depositing her bowl, and then silence.

"I'm goin, too." Daryl said.

He smiled when he entered to find Jamie curled up under the staircase.

"Hey. Don't you ever save my ass like that again, you hear me?" he said, brushing the raccoon tail that dangles from the cap away from her face.

He smiled when he realized she was already asleep.


	24. Chapter 24

"Shouldn't we wake her?" Maggie asked. Jamie was curled up in her characteristic place, under the stairs.

"Let the poor kid sleep. After what she did in the woods yesterday, she's beat. And Daryl's the only one who can wake her up without being stabbed. Maybe Rick, too, but I've never seen him try."

Maggie nodded. "Kid has to be pretty tough, taking down all those walkers and managing to get back here..."

"She had to be. How else do you think she made it this far?" Glenn asked, looking down at her, brown eyes slightly sad. She should be up in South Carolina with Ryder right now, hunting squirrels and shooting tin cans and doing whatever else country kids did, not struggling against the undead with complete strangers. It was a cruel world...

"Come on. Let's get breakfast." Maggie said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder. Glenn nodded, and they headed towards the make-shift kitchen.

* * *

Daryl smiled when he saw her, still wearing the dried rabbit blood on her face. He brought over two bowls of the lumpy oatmeal Lori had taken pride in making. It was a wonder the woman could even get close enough to the stove to make it, as pregnant as she was.

He settled down beside her.

"Hey. Wake up." He said quietly.

"What? Oh- oatmeal. Sweet." she took a bite and her facial expression change drastically. She'd eaten some shitty stuff in her life, but this... this was awful.

Daryl grinned at her reaction. "Get that look off your face." he said quietly.

"But... it's awful..." Jamie said, cringing.

"Yeah, but Lori made it. Now choke that down and smile, or you'll have a hormonal pregnant lady chasing you down."

She laughed. "I'd almost rather have the second option..."

"Shut up. She might hear you." Daryl said, breathing a sigh of relief when he realized Lori hadn't heard him. "If there's one thing I hate, it's hormonal women."

"So you adopted me, an adolescent teenage girl?"

"You're a different story..." Daryl said simply. "Wait- how old are you?"

"Thirteen, my birthday was a few days ago. If I'm so special... you have to eat this awful oatmeal for me."

"Oh yeah, forgot 'bout that. Happy birthday and shit. And no way. I can barely choke down mine." Daryl said.

"Please?" Jamie whined, giving him a puppy dog look.

"No. Now come on, eat up, or Lori will beat both our asses."

Jamie grabbed a handful of oatmeal from her bowl and shoved it in his mouth, and he almost choked, surprised.

"What the hell, Jamie?"

She giggled, and Daryl sighed. "You asked for it." he grabbed a handful of his own oatmeal, shoving it into her mouth. She swallowed, coughing, and Daryl nodded.

"See? Now you know how it feels..." he was stopped mid-sentence when she shoved another handful of oatmeal in his mouth that he barely managed to choke down.

"Okay, that's it..." he couldn't stay angry while she was giggling like a maniac, but that didn't mean he wasn't extracting revenge.

Rick, T-Dog, Glenn, and Carl all watched. They had seats on the side of the table facing the staircase, so the could see it play out, though they were, for the most part, out of hearing range.

They were both covered in oatmeal, wrestling around, when Carol and Lori went to go check on their progress.

"Daryl!" Carol said, hands on her hips. Daryl looked up- his chin was covered in oatmeal, from where he'd won his position of being on top of the wrestling pair.

"Shit." Daryl muttered.

Rick was laughing, now, and Glenn looked away, trying to hide the smile...

"Daryl made me do it." Jamie announced, squirming out from under him.

"Traitor!" Daryl said, and she simply giggled, running out into the prison yard.

"The oatmeal was great, Lori..." Daryl tried.

"I can tell. Makes better face paint, apparently..."

"Jamie started it." Daryl said. "I was just trying to calm her down, get her to act civilized..."

"Sure you were." Lori said, picking up the now empty bowls. But she couldn't hide the amused smile that tugged a the corners of her lips. Carol shook her head. "I swear, we're going to end up with a girl who acts just like you..."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Daryl asked, standing, brushing himself off.

Carol shook her head. "Go get cleaned up. You have an oatmeal beard." She said, shoving him playfully towards the door. Daryl shrugged, heading out to the prison yard to find the rain barrel.

It was less than an hour later, while Daryl brought the wood in to burn the bodies with the other men, that she was with Beth, Hershel, Maggie, Lori  
and Carl helping the old man walk out on crutches.

"Walkers!" Carl yelled, turning, pulling his gun. Jamie stared, finding they were everywhere. "Go! Lori, Hershel, get to cover!" she pulled her own pistol from where it was in her back pocket, firing off a few rounds, standing beside Carl, trying her best to lay down cover fire.

"LORI!" Rick's desperate scream filled the area as he struggled to unlock the gate. Lori, Maggie, Carl, and Jamie all ducked into the cage, into the prison, while Hershel used his crutch to bar the door he and Beth were behind.

"Where are they!?" Rick demanded. T-Dog was bit, leading Carol back towards the cell block after they'd ducked into a doorway.

"They went back towards the cell block!" Beth said.

"Stay here!" and Rick was gone.

The cell block was empty. "Someone is playing games!" Rick yelled, infuriated. "No sign of them anywhere! We find the generators and look for them, too- whoever finds them, shut them down!" Rick yelled over the blaring of the alarms.

* * *

They ducked around a corner, coming face-to-face with walkers. "Get back!" Maggie yelled. Carl found them a relatively clear passageway, Jamie was covering the rear with gunfire, and Lori leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

"Something's wrong..."

"Are you bit!?" Carl asked, shocked.

"No... no, I think the baby's coming..."

Just then, another herd of walkers came around the corner.

"Go Carl, go!" Maggie slung her arm around Lori, helping her, and Carl ducked down yet another turn with them, switching places with Jamie, who laid down fire to stop the herd that had stumbled on them...

Carl skidded to a stop, more walkers came, they were on both sides...

"In here!" he ordered, opening the door to the maintenance room. He struggled, finally managing to close the door.

"Oh god..." Lori breathed shakily, hanging onto a chain that hung down from the ceiling, beginning to hyperventilate.

"What's she doing!? Can't she breathe!?" Carl asked.

"She's fine, Carl. Let's get your pants off..." Maggie laid Lori down, and Carl stared, shocked.

Jamie found a rusted pipe and handle on the wall and started to work turning it- it was rusted and tore her hands, but she ignored the pain, turning it, until a trickle of water started flowing... She grabbed her knife, slicing off a part of her jeans, wetting the rag, looking anxiously over at Lori. She was making painful noises, and Maggie was working with her...

"Let me check and see if you're dilated..." Maggie said quietly.

Jamie strode over, Lori was already covered in sweat, and gently ran the wet piece of denim over her sweaty forehead. Lori looked up at her, offering her a pained smile. "Thank you. I- I'm sorry about all those times... when I was..."

"You were hormonal. I get it, it's like 9 months of pms. Don't be sorry." she said quietly, stroking the locks of black hair away from her face and wiping the grime from her cheeks, doing anything she could to soothe her...

Lori smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but nothing but an animalistic cry of pain came.

"I can't tell..." Maggie said, looking scared.

"I need to push..." Lori said, standing and bracing herself on a piece of equipment. "Ahhhhh!" her voice changed drastically as she struggled.

"That's it, Lori, just let your body do the work. It knows what it needs to do..." she was situated below Lori, trying to ease the process.

"Lori, don't push! Something's wrong!" Maggie pulled back and Carl looked horrified to see Maggie's hand covered in blood. Lori was gasped and swaying...

"Jamie, help me lay her down..." Maggie said, her voice urgent. Jamie obeyed, before resuming her duties of re-wetting the rag and wiping her face.

"I know what this is. You- you have to cut me open." Lori gasped.

"No..." Carl looked horrified, and Jamie looked up to see tears in his eyes. She wordlessly placed the wet rag in his hand, he needed to be doing SOMETHING, needed to feel useful...

"Yes. I'm not loosing my bab- ahhh..." a pained squeak came from her.

"Lori, all this blood, you're not even dilated yet..."

"This baby has to survive for ALL of us..." Lori said, looking at her.

Maggie was in tears. "I can't. I have no equipment..."

"Carl has a knife." Lori said. Carl was crying, now, tears falling down his face.

"But you won't survive..." Maggie said.

Lori looked at her, nodding. "I know. Maggie, when this is all over, you have to be the one to do it, it can't be Rick..."

"Mom..." Carl sobbed.

"Carl, baby I don't want you to be scared, okay? This is what I want. This is right. Now, you take care of your Daddy for me, alright? And your little brother or sister, you take care of them. You're gonna be fine. You're gonna beat this world, I know you will. You are smart, and you are strong, and you are so brave. And I love you. You gotta do what's right, baby. You promise me you'll always do what's right? It's so easy to do the wrong thing in this world. So if it feels wrong, don't do it, alright? If it feels easy, don't do it. Don't let the world screw you. You're so good. My sweet boy. The best thing I ever did. I love you. I love you, my sweet, sweet boy, I love you. Goodnight, love."

Carl clung to her hand, and she kissed his cheek twice. They were both crying, now, Maggie was weeping, and Jamie was having a flashback, awful memories rising...

_"Daddy! Daddy, help it bit me!" Lily was screaming, surrounded by walkers, stumbling..._

_"Lily!" Ryder's voice was loud, he shoved through all the walkers in their front yard, scooping up his littlest sister, Jamie was stabbing walkers, making a path for their father to stumble to the house, clutching the bite wound on his shoulder..._

_They managed to get into the house, Lily was sobbing._

_"They bit me, Daddy, they bit me..." she cried, she was just six and terrified, the bite on her side was oozing blood. Ryder picked her up, pressing a cloth to the wound and holding her._

_"It'll be alright, baby..." their father promised, but his eyes were glassy from pain and the infection coursing through his veins. He took her from Ryder and calmed her down until she was only sobbing quietly._

_"The monsters got me, daddy, they got me..."_

_"Shh baby bear, just go to sleep, everything will be alright..."_

_"Promise me, Daddy?" Lily asked, still looking terrified._

_"I promise."_

_Her fever was already high, she drifted off._

_Her father handed the bundle to her, the bundle that was Lily, nodding to Ryder. "Get he horses ready. You two know what you have to do."_

_Ryder nodded, heading out to the barn to get the horses ready. Jamie's father sat beside her, looking down at her and Lily, and smiled._

_"My beautiful girls..."_

_"Daddy, please. What if you aren't infected?" she said, desperate._

_He gave her a wane smile. "I am, little bear. Be strong. I'll always love you..." he planted a kiss on her forehead, then Lily's. "Be strong. Don't let this world screw you over... Kick ass and take names."_

_"The horses are ready." Ryder's eyes showed how shaky he was, and her father kissed her one last time, before both he and Ryder rode off into the fields, out of sight... She knew her father wouldn't be coming back._

_And now she had to do her part. Her father had left his revolver on the table, she took it calmly, carrying her sleeping sister onto the lawn and laying her on the grass. A year ago they'd laid on the grass, stared at the stars, all three of them, and her father had taught the, the constellations..._

_"Lily..." she sobbed out her sister's name, falling to he knees beside her. She covered her sleeping face in kisses, she was only six, she looked just like her mother had..._

_Six. She was six, six year old innocence, ruined... She was burning with fever and sweating, but she laid so still. Every moment for her now was suffering... She had to fire before Ryder did, or the gunshot would wake Lily up if she heard it, and she couldn't bear to do it while her sister was awake, while she had to stare into those beautiful green eyes..._

_"Mama... I'm sorry... she sobbed out, before raising the gun so it was just above her sister's face. She didn't want to press the cold metal barrel onto her sister's flesh, she put it inches away... and fired._

"Ahhhh!" Lori's agonizing scream snapped her out of it, blood, there was blood everywhere...

"Stop! You're killing her!" Carl yelled.

"Carl. give me your hand..."

"No..." Carl said.

"I need you to hold this open..."

Jamie put her hand where Maggie indicated. No tears had fallen now, she'd seen the flashback before, in nightmares... It still rattled her every time.

Lori was unconscious, now, Maggie removed the baby. It was silent. She rubbed its chest, then back, and both she and Carl stared- the silence had never been so loud... It was shattered as the baby let out a wail. Carl smiled slightly through his tears, handing Maggie his vest, which she wrapped around the baby... Maggie peered out the door. The walkers had passed.

"It's time to go." Maggie choked out.

"We can't leave her here..." Carl said, looking back at Lori's body. "She'll turn..."

"Carl, I can't..." Maggie said, she was in tears...

"I will, then. She's my mom." Carl said, turning back to the body. Jamie went with him, standing beside him.

"Aren't you going to go with Maggie?" Carl asked, slightly surprised.

"No. You don't have to do it alone... It's worse alone. It haunts you..."

Carl nodded, kneeling beside Lori's body. He planted a kiss and stood, hesitating for a moment. Jamie took his hand, and he pulled his gun from its holster with the other one, and the shot rang out...

He turned, letting go of Jamie's hand and brushing past Maggie, who looked horrified. Jamie came out next, then, and they worked there way back to the courtyard.

Rick, Beth, Hershel, Glenn, and Daryl, as well as the convicts, were already there.

Rick stared when Maggie emerged. "Lori?"

Maggie shook her head, breaking down in tears. Carl brushed past them all, heading out into the prison yard to be alone. Rick stared, shocked, taking the baby from Maggie and staring, and Jamie stood, hands covered in Lori's blood, not sure what the hell to do.

Reconstruction was slow afterwards. Daryl was off grieving the loss of Carol, Rick had gone down to the tombs to totally mutilate all the walkers he killed, and Jamie... Jamie was background noise, now. They searched for the bodies, of course, but everyone insisted she and Carl stay in the cell block.

Maggie was looking pretty disturbed, and Daryl looked at the baby. "What do we do?"

"She needs formula, or she'll die soon." Hershel said.

"I ain't loosing anyone else. I'm going."

"I need to go, too." Maggie said.

"Maggie..."

"Glenn, no. I NEED to do this." Maggie said firmly.

Glenn nodded. "Alright. I'm coming, too."

"Take care of her." Daryl said, handing the baby to Beth, who nodded. And they were gone.

Jamie sat in the perch where Daryl normally was sleeping, on the railing, looking down at everyone. So few. They'd bury their dead, what was left of T-Dog, anyways, later.

Carl came up, arms crossed, leaning forward on the railing, standing beside her.

"Who?" he asked quietly.

"Who what?" Jamie asked, looking over, surprised.

"Who'd you put down? Don't deny it. When we were in there, with my mom... You said it haunts you if you have to put someone down alone. Meaning you'd done it before. So who?"

She knew there was no getting out of this, and she was too emotionally exhausted to really fight.

"I'll tell you on one condition. I get to wear the hat." Jamie said.

Carl cracked a small smile. It was a start at him getting back to normal, considering his mother had just died in front of him.

"Deal."

Jamie sighed. "It was my little sister, Lily. She was only... she was six. She got bit, so did my dad, he calmed her down until she went to sleep and rode out of the fields so my brother could end him, he was bit, too, and I just laid her on the grass and finished it... I shot before my brother did. I knew if I didn't, she'd hear Ryder's shot and wake up and I'd loose my nerve... I was a coward. I couldn't do it while looking her in the eyes."

Carl wrapped his arms around her. "You had to do it." he said, trying to console her.

"So? That doesn't make it any easier. I still have nightmares about it, her face, just sleeping... And then my BULLET HOLE in her head..." She pulled away, to the back of the perch, leaning against the wall. She didn't want anyone to see the tears fall.

She felt something descending on her head from where she was curled up in the corner, and smiled slightly, realizing it was the hat...

"You were right. It was easier to do with you beside me." he said quietly. He put his arms around her again, and they just sat like that...

It must've been hours, because there was the sound of a motorcycle on gavel outside. Carl finally pulled back from her. "I think... I think I might love you."

"You don't. Trust me. You just lost your mom, you're not thinking clearly..."

"I know what I'm feeling!" Carl said angrily.

"Just like you knew you were in love with Beth like three days ago, and now you're suddenly in love with me? We're thirteen. We're KIDS. We don't know anything."

She turned on heel, jumping over the railing and landing on the concrete floor ten feet below, ignoring the pain of impact on her feet.

Daryl ran in. "We got it." he said, quickly mixing up a bottle full of formula. He took the crying baby and put the bottle in her mouth, and she stopped crying and started suckling.

"Yeah, you like that?" Daryl asked quietly. "You like that, lil' ass kicker?"

She kicked her legs as she ate and grinned. "She likes it."

Jamie nodded, trying to smile. But they'd lost so much in one day, it was hard to take pleasure in the small things.


	25. Carol

Daryl, Carl, and Oscar, were looking for walkers in the tombs.

Daryl felt the pounding absence within him. Carol was gone. He knew Jamie felt it, too, that was why he'd let her go hunting on her own. She'd promised to stay close to the prison, and she needed time to sort out whatever was going through her head...

"Jackpot." Oscar grinned, finding some slippers.

"What the hell do you need slippers for?" Daryl asked, confused.

"You know, for at night, relaxin'."

Daryl was about to scoff when he heard the sound of a walker behind him and whirled, putting an arrow through its head.

"Damn bastard." he kicked it, starting out towards the other hallway, when three more walkers came. He downed them all, staring a what he found in one's neck...

"This s Carol's knife..." he removed it from the dead walker gently, as though afraid it'd break...

"Damn!" he drove it through the already dead walker's head, and Carl and Oscar stared. He stabbed it again, and again, until finally, he stood, panting. He noticed their stares and instantly regretted loosing it in front of them...

"Go on. I'll catch up." he said. Oscar nodded wordlessly, and Carl gave him one last, slightly alarmed look, before turning to go.

And that was how he found himself sitting by a door, digging Carol's knife into the ground, feeling the pain run through him...

The door kept moving slightly, but it was stuck on a walker body. Daryl had been too busy grieving to care much, but he wanted to kill something, now, the rage was back. He picked up his crossbow, kicking the door open and staring.

Carol gave him a weak smile.

* * *

 

Jamie moved silently through the woods, bow slung across her shoulder. Rick was wandering the edges of crazy town, sitting beside a phone in an old prison off, Carol and T-Dog were dead, and she'd lost more of the people she cared about.

She heard the moans of a walker coming, teeth gnashing, and turned, taking off her bow with one hand and notching an arrow. She fired, aiming for the chest. The walker was unexpectedly pinned to a tree.

She circled, making sure the arrow would hold it. She'd never really had a walker helpless like this before...

She pulled out her hatchet, aiming for the reaching arms and swinging it. The walker didn't react, just kept reaching, and she moved to the side, bringing down the hatchet again, and again... The sickening crack came as one of the arms broke off, hitting the ground, and she moved onto the next one... The walker moved its head fruitlessly, trying to bite her, and took a hatchet to the lower jaw. It couldn't bite or scratch, now, and she turned and left it. Let it suffer, for what the other walkers had done to T-Dog and Carol...

She walked on. She'd have to come back with some meat, stores from the prison would dwindle, and with Rick like he was, they'd need all the meat they could get.

She noticed movement to her left, a woodchuck coming out of his hole. She drew back and fired, hitting him in the head. He flopped around, trying to get back into his hole, but didn't make it. She walked over, inspecting him carefully. Decent size, he'd make a nice soup...

Movement to her left. She looked up to see a duck, a friggin duck, hoping around on an injured leg. It was a wonder it'd made it this far, and she shot it, as well, going over to pick it up. She sling it over her shoulder with the woodchuck, finding a pine tree with low branches and climbing. She'd been out for three hours, she had enough meat to call the outing a hunt, but she didn't want to go back, not yet...

"Carol would know how to cook duck." she said aloud, looking at the dead duck. Carol would've even let her make woodchuck stew with Daryl in the pot. Carol would've smiled when they were debating how to cook it, which parts to throw in, which pieces...

"Damn." she wiped her eyes. After Ryder had died, she'd swore she'd never cry again. She was really sucking at not crying...

She heard a birdcall in the distance. Meaning Daryl wanted her. But he'd said she could be out for as long as she wanted, or at least until dark, unless... Something was wrong. She tossed the woodchuck into the sack she had, stuffing the duck in as well, though the bag could barely hold the woodchuck. She pulled her bow off from where she had it slung across her chest by the string, replacing it with the game bag, notching an arrow as she ran...

She ran out to find the normal amount of walkers milling around. They noticed her, she ran across the bridge, ducking through the hole in the fence, re-tying it with the wire.

She ducked inside the yard, finding Daryl standing there.

"Well? What the hell happened?"

"Come see."

She walked beside him, wondering what it was... She entered the cell block and saw. Her bow hit the ground in front of her, and Carol have her a weak smile.

"How?"

"I hid in a closet. What? No hug?" Carol asked.

Jamie went to back away, shocked... She couldn't hug Carol, couldn't be near her. She'd been dead, they'd all assumed...

"Jamie? It's really me." Carol said, looking desperate.

"I... I brought you a duck." Jamie said, not sure what else to say. She pulled the duck from the game bag by the head. "Figured you'd know how to cook it."

Carol nodded, smiling. "It's good to see you made it out okay."

"Yeah..." she turned and headed into the prison yard.

Rick looked after her, confused. "I thought she'd be happy..."

"She thought you were dead. We all did. Give her time. She tried to move on, and now you're back... She doesn't know what to do. She'll get used to it." Daryl said simply. Rick nodded, still looking bothered, before he left. He had to get back to the phone...

* * *

 

Jamie left the woodchuck on the concrete outside the door leading to the prison. Someone would find it and take it inside, and she needed to go back...

She slipped outside the fence again, back into the woods, losing the walkers that had been tailing her.

She came to the walker, still pinned the tree by her arrow. She pulled out her knife, throwing it at the creature, and it sunk into the head. It finally stopped drooling bloody drool, and she moved forward, pulling her knife out, cleaning it, and sheathing it. She went for the arrow, next, tugging the walker by the shoulders, until finally it fell forward...

And she was left with a bloody arrow suck in a tree. She worked her knife with it, pulling it out, and sighed, looking down at the walker. She'd made it suffer, but Carol was back...

"You still deserved it." she muttered at the carcass, before getting up and heading back.

The fire that night was quieter. Carl sat next to Jamie, offering her wane smiles now and then. So he still thought he loved her. She killed everyone of his warm smiles with a cold glare. No one noticed the two willpowers battling, though, they were all having a good time, enjoying roast duck.

Rick was still by the phone, Hershel was with him, and everyone else was oblivious.

"You want some, Jamie?" Carol asked, offering her a stick with some duck on it.

"I don't like duck." she said simply, standing up and heading for her place under the stairs. She couldn't deal with people tonight.


	26. Somewhere Better

Carol frowned when Jamie headed off to be under the stairs. The girl had seemed shocked ever since she saw her- that Carol could understand. But now, the way she had just shut down, confused her.

Jamie sat under the staircase, in the darkness. Her back was against the wall, in the normal way she slept. But she was upset with herself.

Dead. Carol had been dead, they'd all been sure of it... And then she came back. Came back from the dead. And she couldn't even give her a damn hug. Because as soon as she'd seen Carol, she'd thought of her mother, and Lily, and her father, and Ryder. They hadn't come back from the dead. Yet Carol had.

And she'd been jealous, so jealous, wishing her family had managed to lock themselves in the barn before that herd came through, or find a way to LIVE... But they hadn't. And Carol had.

And she was being such a bastard, not talking to Carol. But she honestly didn't think she could, not without snapping and asking why she'd had to live. Why couldn't it have been someone else?

And now she sat, kicking herself. She should be HAPPY, Carol was ALIVE. But she couldn't be. And so she sat alone in the darkness, waiting for sleep that never came.

So she waited. Waited until Carol was in her cell, asleep, before she snuck in. She sat beside the woman, looking at her face... No visible scars. But Andrea had told her about Ed, what he'd done to her... Andrea was dead, too. Andrea hadn't managed to hide, hadn't managed to survive. Yet Carol had.

She cursed under her breath. She had to stop thinking like that, stop wondering WHY it had been Carol. She should just be glad it WAS Carol. But she couldn't, not with all the dead faces that haunted her in her dreams...

"Jamie?" Carol looked up, shocked, to see the girl sitting in the corner of her cell, watching her.

"Go back to sleep." Jamie said, trying to be gentle but coming off as gruff. She couldn't stop some of the venom that had seeped into her voice.

"Jamie, we need to talk..." Carol said, sitting up.

"Go ahead, talk." Jamie said. Because she really hoped Carol would say something that would stop her from being mad...

"Why are you so cold towards me? Is it something I did, something I said?"

"No. I'm just a bitch." Jamie said, and Carol stared.

"Jamie, honey, you aren't..."

"Don't call me honey. Don't call me anything." Jamie said. Because she didn't deserve this, not after what she'd been thinking.

"Jamie..." Carol said, looking hurt.

Jamie sighed. "I don't deserve it. When I saw you alive, I just thought... why wasn't it Ryder? Or any of my family. But forget it, just forget it..."

"Jamie..." Carol didn't know what to say for a minute. Finally, she spoke. "I can't say that I would trade places with your family, but if it meant being with my Sophia- I'd do it in a heartbeat. Did anyone tell you about Sophia?"

"No. But I heard Carl talk to her, he said, 'hey, Sophia, come look at...' and he just trailed off. When you were burying Ryder, I saw the fresh grave and put two and two together."

Carol nodded. "You know, then. I'm sorry, I can't do anything to bring them back... But we have to survive." Carol said simply.

Jamie nodded. "I figured that out when Ryder died. I have to go- Can't stand being in a damn cage..." she looked at the small cell, looking disgusted, and Carol smiled slightly, watching the girl head back to her place under the stairs from where she stood in the doorway.

"Well? You just gonna stare at me all night?" Jamie asked, and Carol realized she was a hunter. Of course she'd noticed Carol watching her...

"You know, you were the exact opposite of her. My Sophia, I mean. My husband, Ed..."

"I know. Don't say the bastard's name." Jamie growled, surprising her.

She nodded. "Well, anyways, Sophia was the exact opposite of you. Skittish and shy, scared, she was from the city, she'd never touched a gun..." she looked t the light drifting from the high up window, that had a metal grate over it. Moonlit that penetrated the darkness...

"And she was bit. She was lost in the woods, and she got bit... Two things I know you'd never do. You've already proven that."

Jamie nodded, not interrupting. She didn't want to, she had nothing to say that would even compare to how important words about Carol's daughter were.

"But Sophia... She was always afraid. And I got to thinking, what's a life when you're always scared, always terrified? I think... I think it's better she died. She's in a different place now, a place where she isn't afraid. You- you're different. You're not afraid..."

"Who says I'm never afraid? I get scared. I jest push through it- you gotta be brave if you wanna survive."

Carol blinked, surprised. She'd never heard Jamie admit fear- she was so like Daryl, it was shocking.

"Yes, but... Sophia. She would scream and have nightmares, she would ask me, what if there are walkers outside the tent..."

"I have nightmares. I just don't scream." Jamie said simply.

Carol nodded. "But Sophia was cinstantly afraid. Afraid to go outside the tent, afraid to see her father, afraid to walk around alone... What kind of life is that?"

"A sucky one." Jamie said simply.

Carol nodded. "Which is why I'm glad she's someplace else..."


	27. Girl's Day Out

"Jamie?" it was later that week when Beth sought her out, looking nervous. "I know it's personal, but... after Lori died... you and Carl spent the day up in the perch together. What... what did you guys do?"

Jamie sighed. She'd been anticipating the question, but she still didn't want to answer it, for Beth's sake.

"I... I was with him when he made sure Lori didn't turn, I held his hand. I swear, I didn't mean anything by it, I just didn't want him to be alone when he did it. Anyways, afterwards he came up to the perch with me, asked me about my family. I cried a little, and he put his arms aorund me... He... he told me he loved me." she nearly whispered the last part.

Beth looked crestfallen.

"I'm sorry, Beth. I stood up an told him he was just grieving an didn't know what he was sayin, an he got mad at me. I didn't mean for this to happen."

Beth was silent for a moment before she spoke. "I don't blame you. You tried to warn me, anyways, aboutwhatnyou said about him and you on the farm... He might even be a womanizer. Hard to tell, since we have no women..." she said, and they both smiled slightly. Though there were still tears in Beth's eyes.

Jamie sighed. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Beth asked, surprised when Jamie grabbed her bow.

"Girl's day out. You need a distraction, and I could use somebody to watch my back in the woods, since Daryl's busy. You up for it?" she asked, as they headed towards the hole they'd carved in the fence. Beth hesitated.

"Don't answer that. You'll be ready. Besides, someday you might need to know what to do in the woods. It's real easy, trust me."

"You won't go out of my sight?" Beth asked.

"I'll stay real close to you." Jamie promised, and Beth nodded. They both ducked through the hole, re-tying it with the cord so no walkers stumbled across it, and sprinted towards the woods before any walkers milling around the fence could reach them.

The squirrels chattered angrily at them, the birds took off from the trees, startled, and Beth looked around, nervous.

"Jamie..."

"Hang on..." Jamie notched an arrow. She was staring at a retarded squirrel that'd decided to stare at her, flicking his tail angrily, chattering a warning... A moment later he was pinned to the tree by an arrow, dead.

"Sweet. I'm tryin to get enough squirrel hides to make a baby blanket for lil ass kicker..."

Beth nodded, still looking uneasy. Jamie pulled the squirrel from the arrow, handing the carcass to Beth. "Hold onto that, will ya?" she asked. She noticed the fear in her eyes, though.

"Relax, Beth. It's just us and the trees." Jamie said, and they started further in.

There was moaning, and Jamie nodded to Beth. "Climb that tree." she ordered. Beth swung up into the maple. True, she was used to walking through the woods, but she'd never done it since the walkers had popped up, and it unnerved her.

Jamie climbed up beside her, and a tall walker emerged towards the brush, starting towards them.

"Aren't you going to shoot it?" Beth asked, looking alarmed. The walker reached up towards them, filthy, decaying fingernails reaking and bloody saliva trailing down his chin.

Jamie shook her head, pulling the knife from it's sheath, handing it to Beth. "He's yours."

Beth's eyes widened, and she paled.

"Come on, Beth, relax. He can't hurt us up here..."

"But I'll have to bend down to stab him. And he'll scratch me." Beth said.

"Not if you're quick."

Beth still made no move to stab, seemingly frozen, and Jamie sighed. "Fine. Okay, different approach. Spear." she took the knife from Beth, breaking a fairly long branch off and striping off the twigs, sharpening the end to a point with the knife. She handed it to Beth. "Now spear his head. You won't have to bend down or anything..."

"Through the head?" Beth asked. The walker, four or so feet below, was clawing at the bark of the tree, moaning...

"Through the head." Jamie said, nodding. Beth took a breath and plunged the branch down, and with a satisfying squish it went into the walker's head. Beth withdrew it and the walker toppled over, dead.

"Booya!" Jamie said, and Beth looked down, smiling. She high fived Jamie, catching her breath.

"You know... I've never killed one of them before. That was my first..."

"It won't be the last. Come on, let's keep moving. But first..." She jumped down, checking the walker's pockets, finding a wedding ring on his finger, taking it off, as well as the watch, and finding the wallet.

"John West. He had red cross health care..." Jamie said, shrugging, before setting the wallet down on his chest.

"Isn't that kinda mean, taking his watch and ring?" Beth asked as they moved on.

Jamie shrugged. "Maybe. But he isn't human anymore, anyways, and besides- they make good gifts. That cross necklace I gave to T-Dog, before the whole incident with the walkers at the prison... It made him smile. Keeping the spirits of the living up is more important than complying with society rules and crap... Besides, Your Dad needs a new watch." she handed the watch to Beth, who took it, smiling slightly.

"Yeah. Yeah, he does. And I got him one..."

"Sure did. Killed that walker and got it for him. He'll be proud." Jamie said. And Beth was beaming. They walked on.

"Bunny." Beth whispered, pointing. Jamie nodded, seeing the rabbit, who twitched his nose. A moment later there was an arrow through his brain.

Beth walked over to collect the kill- she was actually having a good time out with Jamie, which was saying something. She was sorry she hadn't gotten to know the girl earlier...

"There." Jamie pointed to a female walker stumbling around, she hadn't noticed them yet...

Jamie hung the game bag out of her reach in a tree, handing Beth her knife. "I'll distract her, and you come up from behind. Stab her through the head."

Beth nodded, swallowing. She could do it, she would... She circled around until she was behind the walker, holding the knife firmly, and Jamie walked forward.

"Hey you!" the walker looked up from the dead, decaying deer she'd been eating, tripping on a long since grayed, filthy dress.

"Come on. Let's dance..."

As the walker staggered towards Jamie, Beth crept forward, hardly making any noise, until... She sank the knife into the skull, and with a splatter of blood and one last gurgle, the walker fell, dead...

Beth checked her pockets. Nothing. But she had golden hoop earring, each about the size of a nickle, and she fumbled to get them out, pocketing them, before moving on to the necklace. It was a blue pendant, it looked like Saphire, and Maggie would love it...

"Beth?" Jamie asked. She'd noticed a group of three walkers stumbling towards them.

"Yeah?" Beth looked up, standing.

"Get behind me." Jamie ordered.

She notched an arrow and let it fly, and with a sickening gush one walker hit the ground.

She let the next one fly, and it pinned the walker to the tree. It still roared, annoyed. She let the last arrow loose, and the final walker hit the ground.

"What about the one pinned to the tree?" Beth asked.

Jamie nodded towards it. "He's yours. Might wanna use this. And try not to break my arrow, if you can." she added, handing over her hatchet while going towards the first body. A woman with a nice charm braclet that looked like something Beth would love...

Beth approached the walker, who was waving his arms wildly, trying to grab her. She looked back at Jamie. "What do you want me to do?"

"Whatever. Just don't get scratched."

Beth nodded, moving forward. Before the walker could touch her, the hatchet was buried in his skull...

"Nice one." Jamie said, as the walker's arms stopped moving and fell to hang loosely at his sides.

"Thanks." Beth grinned, pulling out the hatchet and helping Jamie search the remaining bodies. They stood. Jamie looked up. "It's getting late, past lunch, anyways, we skipped it..."

"Think anyone will worry?" Beth asked. Jamie shrugged. "Maybe. Come on, I see a cabin up there, maybe we can find some food..."

BREAK

"Has anyone seen Jamie?" Carl asked. He really wanted to talk to her. She hadn't spoken a word to him for three days, not since he'd said he loved her...

Carol looked up from where she was hanging laundry to dry in the prison yard. "No, I haven't. Come to think of it, I haven't seen her and Beth in a few hours..."

Rick came walking by. They were working to put things back together, still, after the attack...

"Rick, have you seen the girls?" Carol asked. Rick's brow creased. "Not for quite awhile. Knowing Jamie, she probably went to the woods..."

"We can't find Beth, either." Carl said, starting to get slightly worried.

"Hey. Have you guys seen Beth anywhere, the baby keeps crying and she likes Beth..." Maggie said.

"Maggie, I think she and Jamie went hunting..." Rick said, and Maggie paled.

"No. No, Beth wouldn't go in the woods, she's scared of walkers..."

"Jamie must've convinced her." Rick said.

"Convinced who?" There was a collective wince as they all heard Hershel's voice, heard his crutches on the concrete...

"Rick. I haven't seen Beth in a few hours, and I don't like the sound of this discussion..."

Rick sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair. "We think Jamie took Beth hunting with her."

Hershel looked concerned. "How long have they been gone?"

"A few hours, a least. But Jamie normally hunts all day... I'm sure she'll protect Beth, she probably just wanted an extra pair of eyes with her..."

"How could she?" Maggie asked, voice cold.

"Maggie..." Glenn had been listening, and he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll calm down when Beth gets back." Maggie said, voice cold, still, before she turned and walked away.

"I'm sure Beth will be fine. Jamie saved Daryl when he needed it..." Hershel said.

"She saved me from that walker." Carol said.

"She saved Carl, too, that time..." Rick pointed out.

"If they aren't back by dark, we'll start to worry." Glenn said, and they all nodded solemnly before returning to their tasks, a bit more concerned than usual.

BREAK

"Can we check the cupboards?" Beth asked.

"No. Keep your knife out. We'll see about food once we make sure there are no walkers."

It was dark and stuffy in the cabin, like it hadn't been aired out in awhile.

"See that lantern? Hand it to me." Jamie said quietly.

Beth obeyed. "You'll need some matches..."

"I got some." She lit the wick. It was an old, kerosene lantern, which was good, because batteries would die. Kerosene wouldn't. There was sill some kerosene left, and she turned the knob, making the flame larger and brighter...

There was a moan. Jamie notched an arrow, nodding to Beth. "Put the lantern in one hand, knife in the other. I need both hands to shoot."

Beth obeyed. They made there way towards the back of he cabin, it was a one room, twenty feet by twenty feet, with a cot in the back, a gally kitchen, and a worn couch, coffee table, and old, bulky TV with a broken antenna...

"There." Jamie pointed. A walker with one leg clawed furiously at the floor. His ribs were exposed, his leg had been torn off just above the knee...

"I got it." Beth went kill it, but Jamie stopped her.

"Not yet. It's not an immediate threat. But the walkers that got him..."

There was the sound of feet scraping across the floor. Beth turned the lantern. A walker of a woman in a tattered nightgown started towards them, and Jamie let an arrow fly...

They checked the rest of the cabin, finding it empty. Beth plunged her knife into the other walker's head.

"She must've died from fever or something. Her husband probably didn't know she'd turn, since she wasn't bit, and she probably got him..."

Beth nodded. "I'll go lock the door. You check the kitchen."

Jamie opened the cuboards. "Spam, beans, tuna... Bring over the game bag. We'll load it up,"

Beth nodded. Two cans of tuna, four of chili, six canned soups, and two cans of peaches...

They both locked eyes and grinned.

"It's been so long since I've had peaches..." Beth said.

"Me too. First time I had real fresh fruit was... I don't even know. Probably while I was with Ryder, we'd stumble across apple trees in the woods, sometimes... And then when I got to the farm. Your mom said I looked scrawny and gave me peaches. I just stared at her... She must've thought I was crazy, but it'd been so long I just..."

Beth nodded. "I know."

"Yeah. Anyways, we got some spam..." she dumped the two cans into the game bag. "Jackpot!" she grinned, pulling something down from the top shelf.

"Mac and cheese..."

"But we don't have any milk or butter." Beth said, looking disappointed.

"So? We can still have pasta..."

"I guess you're right..." Beth noticed something in the back of the cupboard and pulled it out, gasping...

"Peanut butter..." they both said in unison.

"It expired." Beth said, looking disappointed.

Jamie scoffed. "So? EVERYTHING is expired. It's still sealed, it was never opened... Don't you want peanut butter?"

"Yes." Beth said. She locked eyes with her friend. "Let's do it."

They tore the jar open, sniffing the mixture cautiously, and each took a finger full...

"Oh my gosh, that is good..." Jamie said, grinning.

Beth nodded, still sucking the peanut butter from her finger, and Jamie laughed at her expression of contentment. She looked outside.

"We better get back. It'll be dark soon, we were here for awhile..."

"Wait! Popcorn!" Beth reached up in the top shelf and pulled down the box. There were still three bags of microwavable popcorn...

"We'll have it pop it over the fire sometime..." Jamie said, tossing it into the bag. "Now come on."

They started back towards the camp, using the setting sun as a point of direction, since they'd gone east this morning, they'd go west to get home...

Dusk was just coming when they got back through the hole in the fence, and the lantern was still burning bright...

"Beth!" Maggie ran to her sister and hugged her, and Beth smiled. "Hi Maggie..."

"Where were you two? We were getting worried..." Rick said, as they settled down by the fire.

Jamie shrugged. "Girl's day out. Beth killed some walkers and we managed to find a cabin..."

"You took her into the woods without telling us." Rick said gently.

Jamie looked up from where she'd been unzipping the game bag.

"Why'd I have to tell you? I never tell you guys where I'm going, Beth decided to tag along, so I figured it'd be fine."

"It isn't fine. You could've been killed." Maggie said, looking at Jamie coldly.

"You really think I'd have let that happen?" Jamie said, looking confused. Daryl was watching the exchange, now, making sure Jamie didn't get a scolding more than she was due.

"You should'e told someone. That way we could've made sure Beth stayed here..." Maggie was wondering how she could explain this to Jamie. She'd been on her own for so long, it seemed like she'd forgotten most of the rules of society...

"Wait. Why are you chewing out Jamie for this? I was the one who wanted to go. I mean, she convinced me to come, it's not her job to tell you I'm going." Beth said, giving Maggie a look.

"You know better than to go in the woods! You know what happens there..." Maggie snapped.

"Well you never told me to stay out of the woods." Beth said firmly. "This isn't Jamie's fault. She taught me how to kill walkers today AND how to get around the woods, that's more than you've done..."

"Beth." Maggie looked like she'd been struck. "I mean, you just never went in the woods after the epidemic, I just... You should always tell us where you're going! Just because you'e going with Jamie doesn't mean you're safe from walkers!"

"I'm seventeen, Maggie. I don't have to tell you where I am or where I'm going every second of the day. And I feel safer in the woods with Jamie than I do with you."

The last remark cut deep, and Maggie got up and ran, not wanting anyone to see her tears.

"Maggie..." Glenn looked after her, concerned, before walking off after her, into the night.

Beth let out a sigh, as though she was relieved to have finally won an argument, before turning to Jamie, excited.

"Show them what we found."

Jamie nodded, continuing to unzip the bag. She knew better than to interfere with fights, now, it was better to just let them happen...

"Tuna, some soup, mac and cheese, chili, spam, peaches... The kind with the heavy syrup full of sugar... Peanut butter, and some popcorn."

Hershel stared. "You girls found all that?"

In total it was only fifteen packages or so, but it'd been so long since they'd had canned food...

Beth nodded. "Sure did, Daddy. And... I got you this." she handed him the watch. It was old, silver for the chain that went over the wrist, with golden hands and a white face...

Hershel stared. "It's wonderful." he smiled, putting it on and winding it. "And it doesn't have batteries, so it can't die..."

"Where'd you get it?" Rick asked.

"I killed a walker and got it off it." Beth said. Everyone looked uneasy.

"What? It' not like the walker cares. Besides, we could use this stuff... Like watches, chains, stuff. We took guns from the walkers. That necklace Jamie gave T-Dog- it was from a walker."

Rick sighed. "I guess it's alright..." He'd taken Judith out to sit on his lap, now, she liked the fresh air. He was slowly getting over loosing Lori...

"Hey lil asskicker. Look what I got..." Jamie reached into the bag. "A bunny!"

The baby, who was still nameless, gurgled happily, reaching her chubby fingers out towards the animal. Jamie hadn't gutted it yet, there was only some blood from the hole in the rabbit's head, and she handed the carcass over to the baby, who smiled.

"You sure she should play with that?" Carol asked, looking doubtful.

Jamie shrugged. "It ain't gonna hurt her none. 'Sides, it's not like she has any stuffed animals to cuddle with..."

The baby was smiling, now, and Rick smiled as well. "I guess she's got a point..."

"She can play with it until tomorrow. Then I'm eating it." Daryl said.

Jamie sighed. "I figured..." she looked to Rick imploringly. "Can we eat something? Like maybe the can of chili?"

Rick shook his head. "Wait for winter. This stuff will stay good for a long time, less things we have to preserve..."

Jamie and Carl sighed in unison. "Whatever." Jamie muttered, heading for her place under the stairs to get some sleep.


	28. Nightmare

"Jamie- we're clearing the tombs today, walkers got back in." Daryl said.

Carl looked up. "I want to go."

Jamie shrugged. "If you got ammo, go ahead." she said. Still, it would've been nice to be alone with Daryl. But this was hardly the time to be selfish...

They ventured down, it was dark, here, smelled like rotting flesh... She hadn't been down here since they'd lost Lori, and she shot a glance over to Carl. He seemed fine with being down here.

The first moan came at where the tombs intersected, she turned, her arrow nailing the walker through the forehead. It fell, and when no more came, she walked forward, retrieving her arrow.

"Nice shot." Carl said, smiling at her, and she felt something flutter within he slightly. If he'd been in love with her for so long, maybe it wasn't just because of what had happened with Lori...

"Walker!" Daryl moved forward, letitng an arrow fly from his crossbow, and she snapped back to the moment. Focus. Love was a distraction, she notched another arow, waiting. And then they were there, on all four sides, just stumbling, herds of them. Carl let loose his shots, they all stood, back to back, Daryl covering walkers in two junctions, the others just struggling to hold their own.

"Move." Daryl ordered, directing them both down the route he'd cleared. They were moving, then, Daryl covered them from the back.. There was another turn just ahead, they were almost there...

Walkers. They were attracked to the commotion, they came around, they were pinned down, walkers on both sides.

"Get back!" Carl yelled.

She let another arrow loose, grabbing another, and another. There were at least ten in the group, all stumbling forward...

The walker closest to her was a little girl, she had already pulled back the arrow and she fired. They walker's head whipped back, chestnut hair suspended for a minute, droplets of blood sprayed the air, and she wasdead, on the ground, an arow through her eye socket.

_"Daddy! Daddy, it bit me!"_

Another walker was stumbling towards her, she hadn't reached for another arrow.

_"My girls. My beatiful girls..." her father smiled weakly, sweat beading on his forehead, reaching out to touch her cheek._

"Jamie! What are you doing!?" Carl shoved her back, ahooting the walker in the head.

_Her breath kept hitching. She looked down at her little sister's form, laid out in the grass. Gap-toothed grin, her normally smiling face was pained, breath coming out harshly between clenced teeth._

"Jamie! Snap out of it! Jamie, come on!" Carl yelled. They were being overrun, so many... She lifted her bow, grabbing an arrow, but she was numb, she couldn't feel anything. She notched an arrow, kiling off the walker nearest her, she saw it happen, gut she didn't DO it.

_"I'm so sorry..." the gunshot wasn't deafening, but the silence after it was. Her little sister's eye socket, the blood the trickled like tears from it. She fell to her knees sobbing..._

Slowly, the gunfire stopped.

They helped Daryl finish off her walkers, but she wasn't there, her normal zest wasn't behind every arrow. Her aim was actually off...

But it was done, soon enough.

"You okay?" Carl asked, looking at her. She nodded shakily. She'd be alright. She started moving to retrieve her arrows, and Daryl stopped her. "You alright?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine." she promised, handing him one of his bolts. She picked up her own arrow, still bloody, putting it into the quiver.

Still, she got sidetracked when she found her arrow still in the girl...

She knelt beside her for a moment, wanting to just freeze and sob, but she couldn't. Not here, and probably not ever. She couldn't be a kid here, not in this world, but she was quiet, hardly speaking and finally heading for the prison yard, ducking into the woods and climbing a tree before she let the tears fall. When she was done sobbing, she came back. After she'd washed her face in the stream, she took a breath. Time to keep acting loke she was fine. She tried to convince herself all he sorrow had bled out of her in the tears.

It was a cold night, she felt it, and she curled up, as normal, under the staircase for the night.

* * *

 

"Lily!" the desperate scream sounded in the dead of night, startling everyone awake. "Lily! Run, come on, Lily, go!"

"Jamie!" instinctively Rick went for his gun, finding her under the staircase, screaming, thrashing... Her lip was bleeding down her chin, blood dripping, it was fresh...

"She's asleep..." Rick said, slightly surprised.

"What the hell's going on?" Glenn asked, running in. "Maggie and I can hear it all the way from the guard tower..."

And the screams were really blood-curdling, terrifying. Because they weren't the scream of walkers- they were the desperate screams of a terrified child.

"Well don't just stand there- wake her up!" Daryl ordered, running down.

"What do you think I'm trying to do!?" Rick said, frustrated. He'd never seen a kid terrified like this, Carl had had nightmares, but none like this...

Everyone was staring, looking horrified, and Rick shook her. "Jamie, come on..."

Jamie thrashed, lashing out with a blow to the nose that sent Rick staggering back, surprised.

"Jamie. Hey, come on. Don't be like that." Daryl said calmly. He'd be surprised if she could hear it over her own screaming, but it was worth a shot.

Walkers. They were everywhere, around her, beside her, all closing in on her But it wasn't her she was woried about. It was Lily. They'd been walking the feilds like they normally did, looking at the wild flowers, the colors, like they'd used to, when they'd come. A sea of monsters, literally swarming them. They grabbed Lily first, dragged her out of sight, and then they went for her, teeth biting, scratching, tearing her apart...

_That was the least of their problems, though. Because she could hear Lily's terrified screaming above it all._

_"Jamie! Jamie HELP!" she shrieked, desperate._

_"Run! Run, Lily, get to high ground, climb a tree!"_

_A walker seized her by the shoulders, was shaking her. He didn't stop, and she punched him square in the face, managing to break free, stumbling._

"Lily! Lily, where are you!?"

Beth was crying, horrified at the screaming, and Hershel held his daughter, looking on sadly.

_It was then she saw the small human arm the walkers were fighting over, detatched, and she knew. She couldn't scream, couldn't cry, just fell to her knees and felt her world crash down around her..._

"Jamie. I'm right here, Jamie, Ain't nobody gonna hurt you..." Daryl said, cupping her chin in his hand. She tried to pull away, frantic, but he didn't let go. "Nothing is gonna happen to you..."

Her eyes fluttered open and she was gasping, covered in sweat...

She was too terrified to think for a moment, but she locked onto Daryl's face. Pant, get oxygen, then think...

"Am I bit?" she managed to get out.

"No. You kept screaming for Lily..." Rick said, looking concerned.

"Come on." Daryl ordered, pulling her to her feet. She walked beside him, out into the prison yard, away from everyone's stares...

"Come 'ere." he said, opening his arms. She threw herself at him, sobbing. She never would've done this if she'd been in front of the others, but they were alone, here, in the cool night...

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked.

She nodded, but any possible words were choked off by sobs. Finally, she got them out.

"Lily..."

"Your sister?" Daryl said, taking a shot in the dark.

She nodded. "In the tombs... I killed a walker... that looked like her." she got out.

"What happened to her?" Daryl asked, afraid of the answer.

"B-bit. I had to put her down." and then she was drowni again, and Daryl pulled her close.

"Walkers- they came. They tore me apart... But I could hear her screaming when they did it. They tore her apart..."

"It didn't happen. She's dead, Jamie, she's dead, I promise, it never happened..."  
He wished the same could be true for Merle. His brother might've been torn apart, HE might've been screaming all the way... He'd never know.

He sighed, stroking Jamie's hair. For once, she'd taken off he coonskin cap, and he gently sank onto the dew-covered grass, holding her and just letting her cry...

When she was out of tears they just sat, until he finally broke the silence of the night.

"You wanna go back in?"

She nodded, and we wet a rag with dew, dabbing at the blood that'd now dried al over her.

"Damn, you bit yourself good. It hurt?"

She nodded, shivering. It was cold night, and Daryl led her towards the prison. She went back to settle in her place beneath the stairs, but Daryl gently stopped her with a hand on her shoulder, nodding up towards the perch, where he slept.

She hesitantly followed him- he'd made it his own up here, with a pillow and blanket Carol had insisted he have, and he settled down. Jamie hesitated for a fraction of a second, before laying down as well, worming her way as close to him as she could possibly get.

Daryl smiled slightly, she was pratically burrowing into him, but he liked it. It felt good to feel her small body beside his own, to know she was right next to him, that walkers hadn't gotten in somehow and found her. Ot f all of the people in the griup, he was closest with her, with Carol as a close second...

He put his arm around her, and she relaxed further, nuzzling her head into his chest befre completely relaxing, asleep.

Daryl smiled. Maybe being a parent wasn't so bad- he didn't see what his shithead of a father had been griping about all those years ago. And if he could've, he'd have let this moment last forever.

He woke up with no blankets and Jamie wrapped in them all, contentedly nuzzled against him, still. He chuckled slightly- he'd have to get his own blanket, the kid must've managed to take it from him while completely asleep, which was impressive.

Normally he'd be up by now, but he decided against it. If he did, he wouldn't be able to just watch her sleep. For some reason, he felt good when he did- maybe because she looked so helpless in her sleep- like the child she really was. Plus, it was amazing to think a girl who could look so much like an angel could be such a badass when she was awake...

"Blanket theif." he muttered, trying to look mad. She mumbled something about finding arrows, and Daryl couldn't help it. He had to crack a smile. She certainly was his daughter.


	29. Michonne

It was the a month later when it happened. Glenn and Maggie didn't come back from a supply run, and a woman showed up with a basket of baby formula. Rick was gruff but kind to her, and Jamie found herself eyeing the sword she carried. She didn't speak much, just studied them, and Jamie sighed. "It'd be a lot easier on you if you answered his questions." she said finally, when she was alone in their make-shift kitchen with her.

She stared. "How would you know?"

Jamie shrugged. "I can have my secrets if I wanna." she really didn't feel like telling her the whole story.

"I'm not interested in staying." the woman said, giving her a hard look.

"Never said you were. Just said it'd go better for you here if you answered them." Jamie said simply. There was a beat of awkward silence.

"What about you? You got a name?"

The woman looked skeptical. "Why you wanna know?"

"So I can call you somethin other than that black lady." Jamie said, and the woman cracked a small smile. "Michonne."

"Well don't fuck anything up Michonne, and things will be nice for you here..."

"Jamie!" there was the sound of wailing, and Jamie turned to see Beth coming towards the door, holding Judith.

"She won't calm down. You'e good with her, right?"

"No." Jamie said flatly.

"Please? I know you don't want to, but I really have to go be with Dad, since Maggie's gone..."

Jamie sighed. "Fine..." she unlocked the door, leaving Michonne behind it and relocking it before taking Judith. Judith grabbed at her coonskin hat, and Jamie sighed, letting the infant hold onto it. She gurgled happily, chubby fingers starting to pet the fur...

"Thanks. You're a lifesaver, Jamie..." Beth said, before hurrying off to find her father.

"Whatever." Jamie muttered, setting down Judith. The baby had grown shockingly fast, and she smiled, waving a chubby hand at her. Jamie resisted the urge to smile, and Michonne looked away. Jamie had promised herself she wouldn't get attatched, Judith was the weakest, and while she wouldn't say it aloud, but her chances in this world weren't good...

"Hey Jamie, you seen Judy..." Carl smiled when he saw Judith curled up, asleep, on Jamie's hat an hour later. Jamie looked up from where she'd been skinning some squirrels Daryl had left strung up.

"Yeah. Can you watch her? I'm dying to get outside..."

Carl nodded, taking her into his arms. Judith still clutched the coonskin hat in her chubby fingers, and Jamie rolled her eyes, trying to hide the smile that tugged at the corners of her lips, before leaving.

* * *

"So Maggie and Glenn are in Woodbury?" Rick asked.

Michonne nodded. "I can get you in, But I can't promise I'll get you out."

"Why would you lead us there? What's our insurance this isn't a trap?"

"I have some business to settle with the Governor. You'll have to go eothnme. I'm your only chance at getting them back."

Rick nodded, as though thinking things over. He turned to Daryl. "What do you think?"

"We should go. They have two of our own." Daryl said. And in the back of his mond, he was thinking of Merl...

"It's settled then. We leave at dawn. You try anything." Rick said, pointing a Michonne. "I won't hesitate to kill you."

Michonne nodded. "The feeling is mutual." she assured him.

It was at dawn when they said goodbye. They loaded up the car, and Rick spoke to Carl quietly.

"Take care of the baby."

Carl nodded. "I will. But I've been thinking- she needs a name. Daryl and Jamie are calling her lil asskicker."

Rick chuckled.

"But really, Dad, she needs a name."

Rick nodded, looking pensive. "What do you want to name her?"

"Remember my third grade teacher? The awesome one? I was thinking after her... Judith..."

"Judith it is, then." Rick agreed. "Take care of this place, Carl. And Judith."

"I will."

Daryl walked the perimeter of the inside of the fence with Jamie one last time, out of earshot of everyone else as they talked.

"I might not come back. If I don't, you need to be the one to hunt. Look out for Carol and lil asskicker. Be careful, be smart, and don't be a pussy. Alright?"

"Alright." she hugged him. This didn't surprise him, he'd grown used to it by now, and he ruffled the fur on her cap playfully.

Her bow was once again slung across her shoulder by the string, her quiver was with her, and she was still wearing the coonskin cap. She still looked like Daniel Boone's daughter...

"You better come back." she said with a teasing grin, before they parted ways. Daryl got in the car and looked in the rearview to see Jamie waving. He smiled. She was the one bright spot in this...

"She your daughter?" Michonne asked.

"What's it to you?" Daryl growled protectively as they pulled out of the gravel drive of the prison.

Michonne shrugged. "Nothing. Just wondering. And she acts like you, considering she told me not to fuck anything up. Literally. Those were her words."

Daryl smiled slightly. "Yeah, she's my daughter."

* * *

"That's gonna be us, someday." Carl said, as Jamie stared after the car. "We're gonna run this place..."

"If we live that long." Jamie said. Beth nodded.

Carl was staring, they could both see it, staring at Jamie, and Beth felt the awkwardness of the situation and went inside.

Jamie went to go in after her.

"Jamie, wait- please." Carl said. She stopped, but didn't turn around to face him.

"I... I'm sorry. I still think I love you..."

She went to keep walking.

"Please don't." Carl said, voice desperate, so she stood still, back still to him.

"I... I get why you think I'm only in love with you because you were there for me when my mom died, but... I get that you don't want a relationship. I want to be your friend, though- like when we would run around on the farm together, playing hide and seek and stuff. Please, please don't give me the cold shoulder. We're IT now. The convict, Carol, Beth, you, me, and Judy..."

"You named her?" Jamie asked, turning around.

"Yeah. Before my Dad left, we decided. But it's just us. The others might not come back. And we're not gonna survive if we don't work together, so... let's be friends?" he asked.

She nodded. "Friends. But you owe Beth an apology. I saw the way you two were before... your mom... and she thinks you were playing games with her heart. Just so you know."

"What? Thanks for telling me. I never meant..."

"I know. But it really looked that way." Jamie said.

Carl nodded, looking serious, before entering the prison, no doubt to go appoligize.

"Daryl, you better come back." Jamie said to no one in particular, before heading inside again.

* * *

"There's gonna be hell to pay if he comes back with us, Daryl. Especially with Michonne, and everyone..." Rick spoke quietly to Rick.

"My brother ain't welcome, neither am I." Daryl said, grabbing his crossbow and his bag.

"Daryl..." Rick was shocked he'd go with Merle instead of the camp.

"We need you." Rick said.

"I need my brother." Daryl said.

"What do you want me to tell Jamie?" Rick asked. He couldn't imagine how devestated she'd be.

"Tell her I'll never forget her. And I'll come back for her." Daryl said.

"Come on, brother. Let's go." Merle put an arm around Daryl, who looked back once, before they disappeared into the woods.

* * *

The car pulled back into the drive, and Jamie waited. Carl ran to Rick, who hugged him, Michonne got out, but Oscar, the convict, and Daryl, didn't...

Jamie stared.

"Jamie. He found his brother. He told me to tell you he'll never forget you, and that he's going to come back for you..." Rick said.

She shook her head, not believing what she was hearing.

She turned and ran, ran up to the perch, grabbing his poncho, pulling it on. She was smaller than him, drowning in fabric, but it smelled like Daryl. She clung to it and cried, cried hard. Finally, she stood. She pulled on the coonskin cap, pulled out her bow. She still wore the poncho, heading for the woods.

"Jamie..." Carl said, standing in front of her.

"I need to hunt." Jamie said through grit teeth. No one was stopping her, not Carl, not Rick... Daryl had told her to hunt if he didn't come back. And she would.

"I know. And I'm not going to stop you. I'm sorry, though..."

She nodded cooly to him, ducking out under the fence. She needed to put an arrow through something's head.

* * *

Merle was taking a leak on a tree. Daryl was looking around.

"No animal tracks at all. Maybe we should head back to the prison." he said.

"You serious, brother? We go North, try and catch some fish down by the creek."

"And if we don' catch any fish? Look, maybe going it alone wasn't a good idea. At least at the prison we have a pot to piss in..."

"What's the matter? You missing your buddy Rick?" Merle asked.

"No. Forget this, I'm done." Daryl started back in the direction of the prison.

"Woah brother, think this through..." Merle said, catching the back of Daryl's shirt. It ripped and Daryl fell to his knees. Merle stared at he tattoo on the back, and below it, the scars...

"Dad did it to you too..." Merle said, looking shocked.

"Yeah. Yeah, he did." Daryl said, voice thick. "And you left me there with him."

"I didn't have a choice, brother, I couldn't take it, I would've killed him..." Merle said.

"Yeah, well you left. And I'm going back to the prison. It has nothing to do with Rick, either. I left someone behind- and I'm not gonna leave them like you left me." Daryl said, thinking of Jamie. He'd promised he'd never leave her, how could he have made the decision so quickly, and for Merle, no less...

"And even though I'm the one walking away, you're the one who's leaving, AGAIN." Daryl got to his feet, starting back towards the prison, and Merle looked after him for a minute before falling into step beside his brother.

* * *

Jamie tossed the three squirrels down on the table, skinning them. Carol was tired, Maggie was traumatized, Glenn was struggling to keep it together, and Rick was on the edges of Crazy Town again, wandering beyond the gates. It was after dark, but they hadn't convinced him to come back within the fences yet. She'd hunted for the rest of the day.

Hershel was busy trying to help Glenn and Maggie, and Carol was feeding Judith. Beth simply looked forlorn, knowing something awful had happened to Maggie...

"Go to bed. I'll finish feeding her." Jamie said.

Carol smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Jamie." she planted a kiss atop the familiar coonskin cap, and Jamie nodded, willing heself to keep it together as she fed mashed carrots to baby Judith.

"You should get some sleep, too. I'll put Judith to bed." Jamie said. Beth nodded as well, before stumbling off to bed.

She finished feeding Judith- it was quiet here, too quiet... She remembered feeding Lily when she was a baby, she was seven years older, she remembered how to change diapers and feed babies...

She gently bounced Judith, patting her back until she burped, before setting her in the little postage box Daryl had decorated in sharpie. She smiled, heading into the prison yard. She took the lantern with her, setting it down a the edge of the fence. She knelt beside it, looking out at the world- the real world- through the chanlink. Daryl was in it now, without her. He was coming back. He'd said he was coming back.

She put her hand up to the chainlink, grasping it, and prayed he would.

Three things. She'd hunted. She'd made sure Carol was taken care of, along with lil Asskicker. And there was no way she was going to be a pussy and cry herself to sleep tonight. Hell, she was so exhausted all she wanted to do was get TO sleep.

But before she did, she got to her feet, cupping her hands around her mouth. She let out a birdcall into the darkness of night and waited. No answer. She picked up the lantern and headed back inside.


	30. Chapter 30

She woke up, muttering her thanks as Carol handed her the mug of hot broth for breakfast. She drank it, feeling the soft poncho fabric absently between her fingers, as she watched Beth feed Judith.

She'd slept in the perch that night, not wanting to be alone. She'd instead spent the night wrapped in Daryl's poncho, trying to pretend the flannel was his arms around her like where she'd had the nightmares... She hadn't cried herself to sleep. That was a start. But there was still one heck of a lot more things to do.

She stood stretching for a minute, before grabbing her bow and quiver. Hunting- again. Game would get scarce if she kept hunting the same old trails, and she knew she'd have to hunt to the east this time.

She and Daryl hadn't been that far around the prison, but she'd have to watch her back more. It would be unfamiliar territory... But it was worth it to get the meat as hides. She strode out into the woods, determined. Daryl wanted her to do this- there was no way she'd let him down.

Daryl stared at the herd of walkers heading towards the mexicans. He could hear a baby screaming, a terrified woman, and the men were struggling...

He didn't think twice, starting forward dropping one walker with an arrow through the head. The other two Mexicans stared, and he nodded. "C'mon!"

He dropped two more walkers, and Merle even fired off a shot, when the walkers were getting close to Daryl. Daryl had seen the walker in he back of the explorer, though, crawling towards the wailing baby and hysterical mother. He charged forward, dropping his bow, and seized the walker by the seat of it's pants, dragging the bastard out and slamming the back door on its head.

Merle grinned, stepping forward. "I think they owe us a little... somethin... for helping."

"Merle, stop." Daryl said. The woman was now looking scared, the baby was still crying, and the men were eyeing them nervously. They were obviously a family, just trying to get by...

"Get outta the car. Now"" Daryl growled, aiming his crossbow at the back of Merle's head.

"You wouldn't." Merle said.

"You really wanna test me, brother?" Merle slowly exited the explorer, and Daryl lowered his bow, nodding to the men before continuing on.

* * *

 

Jamie pulled the arrow from the rabbit- so many rabbits, near here. She' have to see if she could find a nest, maybe she'd be able to take them back and had-rear them. Then they'd raise rabbits for meat...

She knew she was getting ahead of herself when she heard the brush rustle behind her and turned, seeing the man, a mexican, by his skin color. His brow was dotted with sweat, his eyes were slightly glazed over, and he cradled his wounded arm in his uninjured one. But she could clearly make out the bloody bite wound...

She pulled back the arrow. His eyes seemed to finally focus and widened, scared, when he saw her. She didn't want to kill him, he wasn't a walker yet. Maybe a child or something had bitten him. But she realized how dumb that theory was- a child wouldn't bite that hard, wouldn't tear that deep.

He put his hands up defensively, starting to back off. He didn't speak English, that much was clear...

Suddenly his body jerked violently and he lunged towards her, filled with animalistic, barbaric desire for flesh. She let the arrow go instinctively, and it went through his head. He fell to his knees, then to the forest floor, on his chest, arrow through his head. He'd been bit.

She stepped onto his scalp, slowly pulling out the arrow. She'd had to kill him, she tried to convince herself... But she wasn't so sure.

She looked down at his fallen body sadly for another minute, searching his pockets. The only thing she'd found was a switchblade, and she pocketed it, before turning and walking away, deeper into the forest.

* * *

 

"What if your pal Rick won't have me?" Merle asked, sounding concerned.

"He will. He won't turn me away. Not with all I done for him. I helped him a lot, stepped up to lead when he went a little... his wife died havin a baby, and he went a lil nuts for a bit..."

"Like Dad when Mom died?" Merle asked.

"Yeah. Except Dad never recovered. Rick did." Daryl said. "Anyways, it's a few miles East. We should be there in an hour or so, and there's people... New people you ain't met before..." Merle had never been on the arm, had never met Jamie, and he wondered how she'd react to finally meeting his brother. More importantly, he wondered how Merle would react to meeting his daughter.

"What?" Merle growled quietly.

"What d'you mean, what?" Daryl asked.

"You got that look on your face. That one you'd get when you was doin homework and thinkin real hard. So about what?"

Daryl shrugged. "Nuthin." he lied. He'd let Merle meet Jamie when they got there...

* * *

 

Maggie was traumatized. Rick was still wandering the fences, and Glenn... Glenn was hell-bent on attacking the governor. So he loaded up his van and went- though he had no idea how much he'd regret it later.

Carol was showing Axel how to use a real gun when there was a shot and he fell, bloodied, to the ground. Rick was caught outside, and as the machine gun fire rained down, the bread truck rumbled through, the back dropped, and walkers were everywhere...

Rick staggered to his feet, desperate. Carl was in there, Hershel was in there... Practically everyone who gave a damn about her was in there. Two walkers stumbled up to him, he didn't have any ammo. He placed his hands on the shoulders of one, shoving it towards the other, using it for a shield... He realized with horror he wasn't going to keep them at bay for ever.

Just when he thought he couldn't hold the damn thing off any longer, a bolt went through the bastard's head. Merle ran over, driving his knife-arm though the walker's head, and they waited until the gunfire died down. The governor loaded uo his boys and went, leaving them to run to the whole in the fence and face the carnage.

"Axel's dead." Carol said grimly. They'd closed the gate leading to the grass prison yard, they were stuck along the concrete. Daryl looked around, feeling slight panic well up in him.

"Where's Jamie?"

Just then she came tearing through the woods, ducking through the hole in the fence.

"What he FUCK just happened!?" she demanded. She'd heard the shots, come running... As soon as she saw Daryl she dropped her bow to the ground with a clatter, running over and throwing her arms around him...

Daryl hugged her back, smiling as he felt her hair tickle her chin...

"What's with you and the Mexican?" Merle asked, looking confused. Jamie was wearing Daryl's poncho, she did look Mexican...

"Ain't no damn mexican." Jamie growled. "And I take it you're that brother Daryl told me about."

"Yeah, I'm that brother. Now who the hell are you!?" Merle demanded.

"Jamie Kessler! Now you show some goddamn respect, or I'll shoot your eye out!"

"Ain't no bitch gonna talk to me like that." Merle growled.

"I ain't a bitch, and I ain't no pussy, neither. Piss off, you bastard." Jamie turned and walked away, looking at the yard, which was now filled with walkers, arms crossed across her chest. She was busy surveying the damage, now.

"Where you pick up that bitch?" Merle asked.

"She ain't nobody's bitch." Daryl growled.

"Then she certainly ain't yours. C'mon, brother- let's go see if we can find some good times in this prison. I'm sure they got some drugs around here..." Merle said quietly.

Daryl shook his head, looking after Jamie. She'd left her bow on the ground, a sure sign she wasn't happy, and Merle didn't seem all too enthusiastic to meet her, either.

"What? Don't tell me you swore off it- remember all the good times we had?" Merle asked.

"I never touched that shit and you know it! 'Sides, they need help out here..." Daryl cast another glance at Jamie's bow. He'd have to hope it wasn't broken, that would be tragic...

Merle noticed his glance and scowled. "Fine. Go back to your bitch. Like I give a damn." and he walked inside.

Just then, Glenn drove up. They quickly opened the gate and he ran to Maggie, hugging her. The others were busy talking about the future, wha they wrre going to do, but the overall attitude was morose...

Daryl strode over to where Jamie had dropped her bow, gently picking it up. He ran his hands over the material, making sure it was all intact, before turning. Jamie had ventured across the yard to where a large boulder was, sitting on the top, wind whipping her hair, which had grow down to her had one knee pulled up to her chest and her arm resting on it, looking out at the woods...

He strode over, bow inhand, and sat down beside her.

"Hey."

"Hi." Jamie didn't look at him, instead choosing to focus on the woods just beyond the fence line...

"You dropped this. Be more caeful with it. It gets broken, I ain't gonna have an easy time finding you a new one." He said, holding her bow out to her, She nodded before she took it, slinging it across her shoulder by the string as she normally did beforereturning to staring.

"You like him?" Daryl asked, hopeful.

"Hell no." she said, giving him a look. "But... I'll put up with him if you want him. You like him?"

Daryl nodded. "He's my blood, Jamie. It'd be like if you found Ryder again."

Jamie looked away, an expression of pain coming across her face, and Daryl realized that was the wrong thing to say.

"I-I'm sorry I left." He offered. "You mad?"

She shook her head. "Nah- You came back. I'd have done the same thing, if it were Ryder. But Ryder wasn't such an asshole."

"Merle ain't that bad." Daryl said, trying to reassure her. She raised her eyebrows.

"Well- okay. But he's not that bad- you jut gotta look past he bullshit he talks." Daryl said.

"Gee, that'll be easy." Jamie said sarcastically.

"What did yo do?" Daryl asked.

"What you said. Hunted, took care of Carol and lil asskicker, and wasn't a pussy."

"Good job." Daryl ruffled her hair, jumping down from the rock. "Now, c'mon- let's see what they have in mind."

Rick, surprisingly, seemed defeated. They'd voted to stay, but clearly, no one had any idea how to even START cleaning up the mess...

"Bail. If I know the governor, and I do, he'll be getting ready to come back and whoop what's left of your asses." Merle said, leaning in the doorway.

"Speaking of which- how old are you?" Merle asked Beth, who looked horrified.

"Merle!" Daryl seized his brother by the sounder, dragging him inside.

"That girl is SIXTEEN. In fact- NONE of the girls here are available!"

"Says the man who's got the feisty bitch..." Merle said.

"It ain't like that!" Daryl yelled, slamming Merle against the wall.

"Sure it ain't." Merle said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"Shut up! Maybe I shoulda just left you in those woods- you're lucky Rick let you in here. Right now, your chances of saying are going to hell! And if I have to choose between you and Jamie- I'll choose Jamie."

Merle stared for a minute before laughing. "Man, that girl must pull a good trick if you'd choose her..."

"SHUT UP!" Daryl threw Merle onto the ground, getting on top of him, starting to beat the shit ot of him.

"She's all I got! Besides you, and the way you're acting... I don't want you round her!"

Daryl got up and Merle stared from where he laid- his nose was bleeding, Daryl had whooped him good.

"It really ain't like that?" he asked.

"Hell no it ain't! She's just a kid!" Daryl kicked the wall. "Now you get your act together, or you're gone."


	31. The Walker Pile

No one had really heard the struggle between the brothers going on, but the knew something was going down. Daryl strode out a few minutes later, knuckles bleeding, and nodded to Jamie. Wanna help me? Distract the walkers and I'll work on chaining that gate- Don' want anymore getin in."

From there, they re-chained the gate and called it a night.

It was by the fire that night when they cooked the chili that it happened. Everyone was gathered around, awkwardly trying t figure out what to say around Merle. Merle, to his credit, was totally oblivious the to awkwardness. He'd stabbed his portion of squirrel meat and was currently roasting it over the fire.

He left it slightly bloody and started to dig into it, finishing, before he wondered. He looked up. Jamie had been sitting next to him by the fire, sandwiched between her and Daryl. She wasn't afraid of Merle, especially not with Daryl beside her, but that didn't mean she liked him...

Merle looked over at her suddenly. "Where you from, bitch?" he asked.

She didn't look up from where she was eating to answer, acted like she didn't notice him at all. Merle waited for her to finish eating before speaking again.

"I said, where you from, bitch?"

She still didn't answer. If he called her Jamie, she'd answer, but until then, she wasn't going to.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Merle said,slightly louder this time. She stared at the fire- she didn't want to talk to him about where she was from. She didn't want to talk to him at all.

Merle moved his knife arm so it was right under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. There was a fire burning in her eyes when she did, but she didn't move, didn't want to slit her throat by accident.

"Where you from, bitch?" Merle asked, giving her a toothy smile.

"None of your business." She snarled, staring at him, eyes hard.

"I wouldn't sass the man who'd got a knife to your throat, bitch."

"I ain't nobody's bitch." Jamie snarled, and there was a click as the switchblade in her hand opened, giving her a clear shot at Merle's midsection in case he tried anything.

Merle looked down, seeing the blade reflect the fire light, and laughed, pulling his knife out from under her chin. "I see how you survived this long, kid." he said. Jamie studied him, and when she realized he wasn't going to make another move, flicked the switchblade shut, sliding it back into her pocket.

"Where'd you get the switchblade?" Daryl asked, a concerned expression on his face.

Jamie shrugged. "I me a man in the woods today..."

"And killed him." Daryl finished.

Jamie nodded. "He was bit, though, he came at me, I swear..."

Daryl nodded, putting out his hand. "Lemme see that knife."

Jamie reluctantly obeyed, and Daryl flicked his wrist, bringing out the blade. He studied it, testing the metal with his thumb, trying to bend it. It was a good blade, strong, he nicked his thumb with it and it drew a bead of blood. He deemed it good- if i were some cheap shit, there was no way he'd let her keep it. The last thing she needed was the blade breaking off in the middle of a fight with a walker or something...

He flicked it shut, handing it back to her. "It's good. Better to scare people away if they try to mess with you, better for slashing."

Jamie nodded, flicking the blade out, studying it in the flickering fire light. It was a good blade, she liked it...

"You know how to use it?" Merle asked.

She nodded. "Put it through there head..."

"That's for walkers. Not people. Lemme see it." Merle extended his hand and she warily handed it to him, since she couldn't detect any malice in his voice.

Merle nodded. "On people, this sonofabitch works even better. Slash 'em anywhere you can, but I'd go for the torso if they're gunning for you. People tend to freeze up once they been stabbed, it shocks 'em..."

Jamie nodded, taking the knife as he offered it back to her and pocketing it.

It was cold out and, out of habit, she moved closer to Daryl, who put an arm across her shoulders.

She took that as her cue and tried to get as close as possible to the warm body on the cold night, worming her way towards him, and Daryl chuckled, getting her in a headlock and giving her a quick noogie.

Still, she didn't fight the headlock. It wasn't tight, she could breathe, and she fell asleep like that, with her head leaning in the crook of his arm.

Daryl just watched her sleep for a minute, reaching down to stroke a lock of chestnut hair, which was around shoulder length, now, away from her face...

He was so lucky. So lucky she'd found him, so lucky she was his. And for once, he believed there was a god, because who else could make a little girl so amazing, so perfect...

He noticed her shivering in the cool night, despite his body heat. Today must've been an exhausting day for her, hunting, clearing the walkers, finding out he was back...

He shifted her into his arms, picking her up bridal style. "C'mon, baby girl." he muttered, before standing, starting towards the prison, Merle following uncertainly behind him.

He came up to the perch, laying Jamie down beside him and grabbing the blanket.

"Thought you said it wasn't like that." Merle said quietly, an almost ashamed look on his face. "She's jest a kid..."

Daryl looked up, something burning in his eyes. "I ain't like that." he said firmly.

"I jest... she has nightmares. As in, knock down drag out nightmares, she wakes up screamin'. An I'm the only one who can wake her up from 'em- last time she had one she gave Rick a bloody nose." Daryl said, looking over at her.

Merle chuckled, crouching slightly to get a look at Jamie, who was currently trying to worm her way under Daryl's arm, trying to get close to his warm body, all while still asleep...

"I'm beginning to like this kid." Merle admitted, sitting down a few feet away from Daryl, looking over at him. "So- where's her parents?

"Dead. Mom got torn apart by a herd, Dad, older brother, and lil' sister got bit. She had to put her sister down. Wakes up screamin' for her sometimes..."

Merle nodded. "Where'd you find her? Atlanta?"

"Nah. That farm Andrea told you 'bout- she came across it, watched her whoop some walkers ass. Rick tried to get her to come with us back to camp, she took off, we followed, she saved Rick's ass when a walker came. Rick carried her back to camp- should'a seen it. She's screaming bloody murder, cussing him out, kicking, screaming, fighting like hell... She even beat Shane's ass when he said her brother was probably dead."

Merle nodded, looking over at Jamie, who was still asleep, now contentedly curled up against Daryl. He looked dubious. "She don't like much..."

"She don', but she fights like hell when she's got her back against the wall." Daryl said calmly. He reached over, grabbing a blanket from where it'd been tossed, tucking it around her gently.

He nodded to Merle before pulling the blanket over to himself a little, moving about for a little before settling down, Jamie asleep beside him.

* * *

 

Daryl was standing beside the fence in the prison yard. They'd been dragging the walker bodies towards the pile they'd burn. He'd just thrown a walker into the the pile, but there was something about the woman that reminded him of Jamie...

Then something jumped onto his back. "Booyah!" Jamie yelled, and Daryl wheeled, surprised, staggering forward. He fell, Jamie laughing, as she was on his back, but he unexpectedly rolled and she lost her grip, squealing and try to crawl away.

Daryl grinned, reaching out and grabbing her ankle, dragging her across the grass towards him.

She screamed, a hysterical, joy filled scream as she tried to crawl away. She'd been hoping to strike and run...

"Thought I'd let you get away that easy, huh?" Daryl asked, dragging her on over to him and flipping her over, starting to tickle her.

She started to shriek with laughter, and Glenn looked up from where he'd been working with Maggie, smiling. It was nice that even with them all on the brink of war, someone could still laugh.

Rick heard the shrieks and ran out, gun drawn, but smiled, sliding it into his holster again and smiling at the scene before him.

"D-Daryl... s-stop!" she squealed.

"Say uncle, kid!"

"Uncle! Uncle!" Jamie squealed, and Daryl finally let her up.

"Next time you start a fight, baby girl, make sure you can win." Daryl said, ruffling her hair.

She shrugged. "Could'a won, if you ain't so big..."

"Big, am I? You're playin with fire, kid..." Daryl grinned, and she laughed, taking off running with Daryl hot on her heels.

Rick shook his head as the two ran past him, grinning. She was he only one he'd ever seen who could make Daryl smile, the only one who'd been able to get Carl acting like his normal self after Lori... There was something special about this girl with the traumatic past and green eyes hat seemed to stare right into your soul...

Jamie ran back past him, scrambling over the pile of walkers, which had to be about five feet tall, like it was nothing.

She was almost over it when a dead hand reached out from within the mass of corpses, seizing her ankle. She fell to the ground, head whipping around, shocked, as the walker started clawing it's way out from under the mass with i's other hand, jaws snapping, trying to get toward it's ensnared prey.

"Jamie!" Daryl yelled. He'd been well behind her, but he looked around, horrified, going for his crossbow.

Rick was already drawiing his gun, he couldn't risk the shot, there wasn't much of the walker exposed, just the hands as it dug itself out from the mountain of corpses. It was slowly emerging, hissing and making inhuman sounds as it strained towards her.

There was a click as Jamie flipped out the switchblade, the top of the walker's head wasn't free, yet, and she buried the blade in it's sunken eye. Blood spurted onto her, she hadn't gone deep enough, though, as it still went for her.

No one dared come any closer- seeing more people would make the walker more determined, make it dig itself out faster.

"If it sees you it'll get excited and scratch her!" he yelled. But Daryl couldn't hear a thing over the pounding of his heart in his ears, his desperate screams for Jamie.

"Jamie!" Beth pulled her pistol from her waistband, throwing it towards her friend. The gun went off as it landed feet from her, the blast succeeded in deafening her in her right ear. And the gun was still out of reach. She scrambled, desperate to grab it, but it was at least two feet out of her reach.

The noise of the gunshot made the walker even more anxious, though, it was trying to bite her, had almost succeeded in digging itself out.

She took the foot the walker hadn't been grabbing, jamming the heel of her boot into it's mouth. It's head was dug out, now, with each heave more of it's shoulders were exposed. She felt like she was in quicksand, where was Daryl?

She was dizzy, nothing was real anymore. The blood was pounding in her ears, she couldn't hear a thing, nothing was real except for the walker that had her in it's grip... Where was Daryl? She turned to the left Beth's gun was a lost cause, her cheek was in the dirt. Maybe this was it...

She saw boots about twenty feet away, looked up, surprised, to see Merle standing there. He said nothing, simply flicked his wrist, and the gun landed a few feet away from her. She stared, rolling, staring to get towards it. The walker took a swipe at her, it's other arm, was free, now,but it missed. She drive the heel of her boot into it's skull, felt something within it's head crack.

It was still going for her, the gun... She struggled, twisting, desperate to get her hands on it... A few inches. She was a few inches away, now. Merle was ten feet away, why didn't he help her?

She didn't have time to think about it now, a few inches, a few inches... She felt her fingertips brush the cold metal...

She seized the handle, turning back towards the walker. She didn't even aim, instinct took over, then, and she fired....


	32. Deaf?

The shot echoed, blood was everywhere... Jamie laid, exhausted, where she was in the dirt, gun still in hand, panting, gasping for breath... Everything was so sureal, still, she couldn't hear anything but the blood pounding in her ears. She was covered in something sticky, she was guessing it was brain matter, since the walker's entire head had pretty much exploded...

There was a hand extended down to her, she looked up to see it was Merle. She took it and staggered to her feet like a newborn fawn, panting...

Rick had seen that Daryl going over wouldn't make the walker even more determined, now, he let the redneck go, and Daryl was off and running towards her.

"Jamie! Jamie, did it get you!? Are you alright?"

Jamie didn't look up. She was looking at Merle, head cocked, as though curious.

Merle gave her a gruff smile. "That was pretty badass, for a kid." he said. Jamie stared, shocked. She'd seen his lips move, but she hadn't heard a thing... She handed him the gun back, he holstered it.

Daryl nearly tackled her, then.

"Jamie! You alright, did it get you? Jamie?" she could see his lips moving, knew he was speaking, but she couldn't hear a thing...

Daryl was examining her ankle, she hadn't been scratched, she realized everyone was gathered around her, looking worried.

"Jamie. Did it scratch you?" Rick asked.

She was too busy focusing on Daryl to notice him, she couldn't hear him, anyways.

Rick placed a firm hand on her shoulder, expecting her sadness to be a state of denial.

She looked up when he touched her. "Jamie. I asked you a question. Did it scratch you?" Rick asked.

She cocked her head at him. "I can't hear a thing you're saying."

"What!?" Darylwas on his feet in an instant. He gently brushed back her hair, which was shoulder length, gingerly touching her ear. He recoiled, shocked, when his hand came back slick with her blood...

"The pistol went off pretty close to her, and then she shot off Merle's magnum... It was loud. And all pretty close to her face. It's probably temporary..." Hershel spoke calmly.

"Probably!?" Daryl yelled. He was horrified. If she was deaf, she wouldn't last a day out in the woods if she were forced to...

"Let's get her inside." Hershel said simply.

Daryl went to take her hand and she pulled away. "I may be deaf, but I ain't blind." she said simply, heading for the prison. Still, it was unnerving not to hear her own voice she as she spoke. The only proof she had that she was really speaking was feeling her vocal chords reverberate.

Daryl still stayed beside her, though, his expression worried.

Hershel did his best to look at her ears with a flashlight, and she held a rag to it to try and stop the bleeding. She still couldn't hear a word anyone was saying, Hershel's lips moved but she heard nothing.

"It's most likely temporary." Hershel was saying. Daryl looked down at her, clearly upset, before looking back at Hershel.

He moved to get his crossbow, along with a can of gasoline, and headed outside, now, mouth set in a firm line. Jamie smelled smoke a moment later, and realized he'd ignited the pile of walkers. He was also currently storming out beyond the fence line, he probably needed to kill some walkers.

She sighed. Carl placed a calming hand on her shoulder, and she turned to look at him. Still, there were tears in her eyes, even if they were unshed. Only Carl could see them, though, and he hugged her. She stiffened, but didn't pull away, before retreating up to the perch, wondering when Daryl would get back.

* * *

 

Daryl drove another knife through another walker. He was beyond pissed off- he was freaking out. Jamie was naturally tough, she was a hunter, a survivor, a badass, and mot of all, she was HIS. Her being deaf had thrown a wrench in everything. She was a hunter, her ears were everything- she couldn't hear his orders, couldn't hear gunshots, and she wouldn't hear a walker come up on her now until it was too late.

He knew he could protect her- he could try to, anyways. But it was inevitable they'd get in a situation they couldn't get out of, and she'd be left helpless. Deafness was a signed death-warrant- it was only a matter of time.

And Hershel saying it was temporary didn't help, either What the hell did temporary mean? A few hours, a few weeks? A few years? Either way, it wasn't good, and he was beyond the point of worry, now. He was pissed off.

He dropped another walker, shooting another in the head. He stood, panting for a moment. That was the seventh one he'd killed, just now, and he was left with a bloody knife and a ton of rage. He sheathed the knife, punching a tree beside him. All it did was hurt his knuckles, but he was still angry, so he decided to punch it again, and again...

He disappeared into the woods, then, hunting anything he could find, ignoring his stinging knuckles. Jamie would be okay, she had to be... Still. He stayed out until dark, heading back through the fence, finally. Maybe Jamie would be alright.

* * *

 

Jamie laid curled up on the perch, trying not to cry. Daryl had been gone for hours, now, it was clear he wasn't coming back. Her right ear was still bleeding, her head was on fire... She couldn't take it anymore.

"Rick!" the only proof she had that she'd spoken was the reverberation of the vocal chords in her chest.

Rick hurried upstairs, worried. She was curled into the fetal position, looking close to tears.

"Daryl... I want Daryl..." she muttered. Her eyes were screwed shut from pain, hands clenched into fists. Her ears were ringing, like thousands of tiny bats squeaking, or a high pitched scream... It was so loud, it was excruciating...

Rick pounded down the stairs. "Hershel!" he yelled. Jamie heard it, but it was muffled, like her ears were stuffed with cotton and she was in a tunnel.

Hershel went upstairs, stroking her hair, and she whimpered. Rick ran out into the prison yard, to the fence line. "Daryl! Daryl!" Daryl came out if the brush, looking anxious. "What?"

"It's Jamie."

Daryl was off and running then, ducking through the hole in the fence and sprinting up towards the prison. He dropped his crossbow, sprinting inside to find Hershel, Carol, Glenn and Maggie all huddled around Jamie. He pushed past them. "What the hell happened?" Daryl asked.

"Her ear is still bleeding, I think the hearing is coming back..." Hershel said calmly.

"Fuck fuck fuck. Stop TALKING!" Jamie said, curling into a ball and trying to crawl away. The ringing in her ears was loud, so fucking loud, it was excruciating. Everyone could see the pain on her face, the way she was laying there...

Her eyes opened. "Shit..." she staggered to her feet, stumbling down the stairs into the bathroom. There was the loud sound of vomiting, then, and Daryl slipped down after her. He brushed past the curtain they had in place of the bathroom cell door, finding her kneeling in front of the toilet with bile dribbling down her chin.

"Shh... shh..." Daryl said calmly, reaching out to pull her against his chest. She laid her head against his chest, wincing and catching her breath before pulling forward again, retching painfully again into the tolite...

Daryl rubbed his rough hand on her hunched back as she made a choking sound, retching some more...

"Shh baby girl. Shh, it's okay..."

She finally finished vomiting and whimpered, lying on the floor in front of the tolite. Daryl pulled her head into his lap, stroking the now messy chestnut hair.

"It's gonna be okay, Jamie, I promise, it's gonna be okay..."

She looked up at him quietly, tears streaming down her face. "It hurts..."

"I know it hurts, baby girl, it'll stop soon, I promise..."

He stroked her hair, and his hand came back bloody. Her right ear was still bleeding.

"Hershel!" he called as softly as possible, but Jamie still winced.

Hershel entered quietly, Rick behind him, looking concerned.

"Can't you do somethin'? Ice pack, asprin, something?" he sounded pleading, and he looked down at Jamie, in his lap, face buried in his chest, shaking from the utter agony of it, trying not to scream. He was still quietly stroking his hair.

Herhsel shook his head, looking remorseful. "With the state she's in now, she couldn't keep any medication down..."

"Can you hear anything?" Rick asked, crouching on front of her. She nodded. "Barely... Damn..." she almost fell off of Daryl's lap then, clawing despertwly at his shirt and wrapping her arms around him, clinging to him lke he was a tree trunk.

"You off balance, honey?" Hershel asked, and she nodded, eyes closed again, swallowing. Some sweat coated her brow, Daryl gently wiped it away, looking to Hershel desperately...

"The gunshot must've damaged her inner ear. Making her off balance, causing the vomiting... Try and keep her still. That's all you can do, there's nothing else..."  
"This happened to me once. I got trapped in a tank, was sitting next to what I thought was a dead GI. He was a walker, turned to me, I blew his head off... Went deaf in my ear for a few hours afterward. Hurt like hell healing..."

Jamie didn't react to anything- she as simply clinging to Daryl, shaking.

Daryl stroked her hair, nodding. Still, Jamie looked like she was going through hell right now...

"Found somethin'."

They all looked up to see Merle standing in he doorway, something in hand. "I found it in one of the offices. Cop musta gotten greedy." Merle said, holding up the bag. Rick instantly recognized what it was.

"You wanna give her marijuana?"

Merle shot him a glance. "It's the only painkiller we got that's strong enough to fix THAT." he said, nodding to Jamie, who still hadn't moved. "This ain't no asprin and band-aid situation."

Daryl looked at his older brother, unsure. "What if she has a reaction to it. Some people go insane from that shit...."

"She won't have a bad trip, man. If anything, it can;t be worse than what she's seen day to day."

"I've seen what that stuff does to people. You can't just give it to her..." Rick said, hesitant.

"You've seen what it does to addicts when it's laced. How can you NOT give it to her? Look at her- she looks like she could use some drugs." Merle said.

"And if it is laced, or she reacts to it?"

"She'll be fine. Trust me- I've seen kids her age smoke this shit- I know the right amount." Merle reached into the bag, withdrawing a palm full of the crushed leaves and sniffing. "This is some good quality stuff here... You know it'll help, Brother." Merle said simply.

Daryl shook his head. "No. Shit could be laced, I ain't gonna risk it."

"So you're gonna leave her like this?" Merle asked, looking angry.

"Better than having her react to some bad shit and ending up dead." Daryl said firmly. "Leave us alone." he said firmly, and Rick nodded. "You call if she gets worse, you hear?"

Daryl nodded, and they left them alone. Daryl spent the rest of the night simply stroking her hair. She drifted in and out of an exhausted sleep, whimpering and crying out in pain every now and then... It killed him to see her like this, but he wasn't going to leave her. Not again, anyways.

She was still asleep when dawn came, and Rick ducked inside. "How is she?" he asked, concern etched into his face.

"Sleepin'. Had a hell of a night, don't try and wake her." Daryl ordered, and Rick nodded.

"We need your help today. I know you want to be with her, but we have to get ready. The governor is gonna be coming soon. We're letting walkers back into the yard, packing, getting ready to clear out. We'll bait them into the tombs and let the walkers loose from one side, shoot them from the other."

Daryl nodded. "Alright. What do you need me to do?"

"Just attract some walkers through the fence line into the yard. We'll keep the concrete part clear, though, but it'll slow them down..."

Daryl nodded, picking up Jamie and moving, setting her beside the fence. "I'll be back, 'kay?" he muttered. Se didn't respond, still asleep, and he smiled, brushing a chestnut lock from her face before kissing her forehead and standing. She wasn't going anywhere, yet.

* * *

 

Rick pushed the door open and Daryl moved out, the walkers, as usual, were milling around. "HEY DUMBASSES! OVER HERE!" he yelled, firing off a pistol into the air a few times. Instantly all attention was on him, and he smiled, starting to back up, leading them through the gate...

There were at least twenty, maybe more, and he was left backing up as they made their way into the yard, stumbling and moaning...

"We good?" Daryl asked Rick as he backed back inside the gate. Rick nodded. "We're good."

More walkers were coming from the woods, as well, hearing the gunshots, and they sprinted towards the gate by the cement inner-yard, chaining the door behind them.

"So- when did you intent to tell me you were playing chicken with walkers?" Daryl whirled to find Jamie staring at him, hands on her hips.

"You're awake?"

"Yeah. Hard not to be, with all the noise you're makin'."

"You can hear?" Carl asked, running over. Jamie nodded. "Would I be awake if I couldn't?"

Beth ran ver, throwing her arms around Jamie. "I'm so glad you're okay..." she said, burying her head in her friend's shoulder. Jamie patter her back awkwardly.

"Let's not get too emotional here..." she said, turning to Rick. "So- what's the plan? What are we doing with these Woodbury bastards?"

"Don't you worry bout that. Governor will kill us all- unless we run." Merle said, walking over. Daryl noticed his bloodshot eyes and the way he moved slowly.

"You didn't." he said.

"adidn't what?" Merle asked, looking confused.

"Don't give me that Bullshit!" Daryl said, stepping forward. The smell hit him and he realized it. "You got high last night!"

Merle shrugged. "So? Guys gotta have a little fun..."

"Yeah. When there's walkers around and some pirate with an eye patch moving into our backyard, it ain't exactly PARTY TIME!" Daryl said, shoving Merle back. "I tol you to straighten up or you're gine! How much did you smoke?"

Merle gave him a smile. "The whole damn bag. Figured since you didn't wanna use it as a painkiller for Jamie, I'd put it to good use... And ya know something, baby brother?" Merle asked, smiling. "There ain't nuthin you can do 'bout it. Cuz I'm a grownnnn mannn..." he said, drawing out the last letter for emphasis.

"Man, we gotta a baby round here! What the hell's wrong with you, smoking that shit around a baby!?" Daryl was getting increasingly aggravated, Merle was being a shithead again...

"Remember, Daryl? You ain't one of these people. You're a Dixon. 'Amember, before I had to cut my hand off? We was planning on robbin' the whole camp blind..."

"Shut up!" Daryl slammed Merle into the wall. "That didn't happen! I will NEVER BE YOU!" That had been before. Back when Merle had been all he had, when life had just been making it day to day and staying out of the drug houses in the neighborhood... That'd been before Jamie.

Everyone was staring now, and Merle chuckled from where Daryl had him pinned.

"You can say that, baby brother, You can say that ALL YOU WANT. But blood's blood- it's in your DNA."

Daryl looked like he was about to snap right then and there but before he got the chance little hands pulled him off Merle.

Before Daryl could stop her, she'd swiped the keys to the prison from Rick's belt, as well as the handcuffs, and slapped them on Merle, leading his dumbfounded brother into the prison. There was the clang of the metal door to a cell closing, the sound of the lock pins falling into place.

"What the fuck!?" Merle asked, shocked. He was still high as a kite, and Jamie shrugged. "I'll let you out when you quit being such a shithead."

"Daryl! Come straighten out your bitch!" Merle yelled, grasping the bars.

"She's my daughter, not my bitch. You're my bitch." Daryl said, smiling, slightly amused. Jamie, sometimes foolhardy, brave, just plain badass, was back. And she'd managed to lock Merle up.

"What!? C'mon, brother! Don't do this!"

Daryl shook his head, "The way you're going, you're gonna end up just like Dad..."

"I AM NOT DAD!" Merle roared, suddenly enraged.

"Really. Cause you're sure acting like him." Daryl said, when Maggie ran in, breathless.

"Somebody's coming."

"What?" Rick asked, shocked.

Jamie moved to grab her bow, and Daryl nodded to her. "Whoever it is, you stay close to me. y'here?"

She nodded.

"Wait! You need me!" Merle said. "You'd be crazy to try this on your own..."

Daryl shrugged. "Maybe. C'mon, Jamie..." And the darted out to the fenced in bridge area that led as a walkway across the prison, taking their places behind the pallets and sheet metal they'd re purposed as shields.

They both sat, side by side, backs to the wall.

"If it's the governor, you don't surrender, you hear? No matter what happens, you survive. Even if it means leaving me behind. If you have to, turn tail and run. Got it?"

Jamie hesitated.

"Got it?" Daryl asked, more forcefully this time. She nodded.


	33. 2 Legs

"Wait! It's Andrea!" Glenn yelled.

"Andrea?" Carol asked, sounding shocked. Rick went to open the gate, and Jamie went to stand, but Daryl quickly stopped her.

"We don't know what she wants, yet. She might be with the governor."

Jamie nodded, but Daryl went to stand, then. She grabbed his arm. "I don't go down there, you don't. Like you said, we don't know what she wants..."

Daryl was about to argue when they allowed Andrea into the cement part of the yard, closing that gate, searing it off from walkers.

Andrea got out, giving them a wane smile.

"Hi guys."

She was met with icy stares from everyone, including Carl.

She sighed. "Look- I swear I didn't know what he was planning. I found out, I tried to warn you..."

"Whose side are you on?" Rick asked, arms crossed.

"I... this war isn't necessary." Andrea said simply. "He wants to meet with you."

"Who does?" Daryl asked, coming down from the bridge now. He turned when he heard footsteps behind him. "I told you to stay up there."

"I know. I just didn't care." Jamie said simply, peering curiously at Andrea. "You actually made it?"

Andrea nodded, smiling slightly. Jamie had grown a lot since she'd seen her, she was still small, but with the bow slung across her shoulder and the coonskin cap, she looked more like Daryl...

"How'd you get out? Last I saw you ran into the house. I heard a gunshot, I assumed you... You know..."

Jamie nodded. "It was he walkers I was shooting. I had one bullet left, almost blew my brains out, but Daryl came back in time."

Michonne eyed her friend with trepidation. "How's the governor?" she asked, voice laced with sarcasm. Andrea blushed, trying to make her wavy londe hair cover the red marks on her neck... He'd finally let her leave to visit her friends, to organize this meeting, but they'd had one last night before she'd left...

"How've you been?" Beth asked, good natured as always. The others were all hesitant to accept her, and Andrea smiled. "Good."

"Where does he want us to meet?" Rick asked simply. Andrea handed him the map.

Just then, from within the prison, Judith started wailing. Beth turned to head in, and Rick nodded. "Bring her out- she's been fussy all day."

"You can bring some people for protection, god knows the governor will, too..." Andrea said. She looked to Rick, grey-blue eyes showing she'd pieced it together. "I'm sorry about Lori."

Rick looked away, blinking hard, and Andrea knew she shouldn't have brought it up.

"The point is, there doesn't have to be a war. We can work it out- no one else needs to die." Andrea said simply.

"Tell that to Axel and Oscar." Carl muttered.

Heavy silence hung in the air, and Beth came out with Judith wailing in her arms, still.

"She won't calm down. She wants her daddy." Beth said simply, handing her to Rick, who shifted his focus to her.

Almost immediately Judith stopped crying, grinning, reaching for her father's hair and gurgling happily...

Andrea stared for a minute, pure longing in her eyes... No. She couldn't expect to be allowed to hold the baby, especially after everything...

"What's goin' on?" Merle stumbled out, then. Jamie had chosen to let him out yesterday, and he smiled when he saw Andrea. "Hey Blondie. Finally decided to come visit old Merle..."

Andrea smiled slightly. "Yeah, sure..."

Rick looked up. "Daryl, you and Hershel should come."

"What about us?" Carl asked, looking indignant.

"You stay here with Jamie- you two and Glenn our the greatest assets while we're gone, you keep things calm, fight if you need to, and protect things."

Jamie looked a Daryl. "I swear to god if you bring home another brother..."

And the tension was broken then, as everyone laughed.

* * *

 

"Please let me come with you?" Jamie asked, desperate. The were abut to embark- Andrea had left last night, and they were due to

"No. Rick said no, and I say no. Now you STAY HERE." Daryl said, emphasizing the last two words. "And take care for the group."

"But the governor's an asshole- what happens if he takes you prisoner?"

"Then I'll put a bolt through his head and come back for you."

"And then what?" Jamie asked, looking at him worriedly.

"Then we'll either stay and fight or I'll take you and Merle and strike out on the road. If I don' come back, you know what to do."

She nodded. "Take care of lil' asskicker and Carol, hunt, and don't be a pussy."

Daryl smiled slightly, ruffling her hair. "That's m' girl. And if Merle gets high again, lock him in a cell and I'll deal with him when I get back. Be good, y'hear?"

"As good as I can be without you hre to keep me in line." suddenly she hugged him, buried her face in his chest. "Love you, Dad."

"Love you too, Jamie."

And he was gone, heading towards the car.

"She gonna be alright?" Rick asked, looking over at Jamie, who was gathing her bow and slinging her quiver across her shoulder.

"She always is." Daryl said simply.

Rick nodded. "She going hunting?"

Daryl shrugged. "She might. She's been dying to try out that switchblade..."

Carl walked over and put an arm around Jamie, and she gave him a look. He put his arm by his side and stood at a comfotable distance, and she nodded. She was alright with standing beside him.

"He'll be back." Carl said, trying to reassure Jamie as Hershel, Rick, and Daryl pulled out.

Beth, tool was looking lost as she wanted her father drive away.

"I know. Beth's the one that needs reassurance." Jamie said quietly so Beth couldn't hear, moving to be closer to her friend.

"You think he'll come back?" Beth asked. He blue eyes were still worried she was still staring into the horizon, though the car had long since faded into the distance.

"Of course he will. Daryl always does..."

Without warning, Beth had backhanded her, and she was on the pavement.

"Daryl has TWO LEGS! Dammit!" and she was running into her cell, sobbing uncontrollably.

Jamie painfully got to her feet. Being smacked with concrete hadn't been expeced, her entire right side was theobbing painfully from the impact, but she shook it off.

Maggie looked at her, concerned. "You okay?"

She nodded gruffly. She never talked while she was in pain- never allowed weakness to be heard in her voice. The pain was slowing, now...

"I'll go talk to her." Maggie said, turning.

"Don't." Jamie grunted, trusting her voice, now. She started forward. "I'll settle it. She don't need a lecture right now. She's afraid."

She left a sheel-shocked group behind her.

Finally, Merle spoke. "Should gt inside. If I know the governor, he'll sent a group out here to beat our asses..."

Jamie stepped into the cell despite the hysterical sobs. Judith was nearby, she'd sensed Beth's distress and was wailing, too...

Jamie sighed. She sucked with kids. No, actually- she was just afraid. They all reminded her of Lily. She picked up Judith, stroking the baby's thin head of blonde hair. Neither Rick, Lori, or Shane was blonde, but maybe blonde hair skipped a generation in either of their families.

She bounced Judith quietly, slowly, the baby calmed down to stare at her, though, looking distressed at he way Beh was sobbing.

"You're scaring the baby." Jamie said quietly.

"So?" Beth asked, venom obvious in her voice as she looked up from the pillow. Tears covered her face, her normally neat blnde hair was strewn about...

"So you might wanna stop." Jamie said. She figured it was at least worth a shot...

"No. I can cry if I want to. Just LEAVE me." Beth hissed.

"I would, but Judy bawls her eyes out when she can hear you crying. Trust me. My sister..." She trailed off, swallowing. Lily had always cried when she wasn't nearby or when she cried as a child...

"Well?" Beth snapped. "Aren't you gonna tell me to man up- grow a pair? Like you? Get off my ass and DO something?"

Jamie shook her head, still stroking Judith's hair absently. "I can't make you do nuthin'. You gotta decide what you want."

"I WANT you to go away!"

"We both know you don't mean that." Jamie said, and Beth sighed.

"I-I just..." Beth stared at her. "You don't understand it. You don't know what it's like..."

Jamie said nothing, and Beth realized the mitake she'd made, Jamie had had a family at one point...

"I... I just... Maggie and Dad are all I have left..." Beth sobbed quietly. Jamie sighed, setting Judith in her carseat and moving it outside, taking her place bside Beth.

Her friend fell into her arms sobbing, then. "He's only got one leg. He can't move all that fast anyhow, and once he runs out of ammo..."

"Who says anything is even gonna happen, Beth? Rick's going to TALK to the governor, not to kill him."

Beth looked up at her. "So? Stuff could happen, what if the governor takes hem prisoner..."

"Daryl told me if that happens he'll put a bolt through the governor's head and come back. And Daryl wouldn't leave yor father behind unless there was absolutely NO choice. Even then, Daryl would MAKE a way for Hershel to escape."

Beth nodded slowly, sniffing, wiping her eyes.

"I just- I just HATE when Rick takes him out on these missions. He's only got one leg, he's the weakest... Why does he always have to go along with what Rick says?"

Jamie nodded. "I know the feeling. Daryl always goes out with them all the time. And I know if he keeps temptin fate, one of these times..."

Beth nodded, pulling her knees to her chest. "I wish I could be brave."

"You are. Most people would be crazy by now- not us. We're here- we're IT."

Beth nodded. "Sometimes I'd rather be dead."

"Who wouldn't be?" Jamie asked simply, and Beth smiled. "Business as usual, then."

"Pretty much." Jamie said. Beth touched the red mark on her friend's cheek gingerly. "Did I do that? I'm sorry- I guess I just lost it..."

"Don't worry about it. I've had worse. Still, though- you hit hard, when you wanna." Jamie said, smiling slightly.

There was a happy gurgle from the doorway, and they both laughed to see Judith looking at them from her car seat, drooling all over, waving her arms at them.

"Looks like she wants you." Jamie said, standing.

"Where are you going?" Beth asked, looking after her, perplexed.

"Gotta go make sure Merle stays in line." Jamie said simply, and Beth nodded, undesanding. They both hated to be left behind while their father's were gone, but everyone had a job to do.


	34. Home

Hershel had settled to talk to Milton, who was sitting, research journal out, looking interested as he studied Hershel's stump. They'd fashioned a prosthetic leg so he could drive, but Milton seemed exceedingly interested as to how he'd survived the bite.

Daryl and Martienz had spoken a little when they heard it- the moaning and the sound of dead hands on the metal cylinders around the old factory.

Martinez moved, killing one with a well-place shot to the head, befire turning to look at Daryl, smirking. Daryl nailed the next one with a bolt through the head. There was no time to gloat- Martinez had heard the next walker stumbling through the metal farm equipment and raised his gun. A knife sang through the air before he could, thoug, and with a satisfying gush the waker hit the ground.

Martinez turned to look at him, slightly surprised. Daryl didn't acknowledge him, walking forward and oulling his knife frm the walkerms head, starting towards a grassy field. He needed to smoke, and he didn't want tobe enclosed by all those old cylinders...

"Pretty badass." Martinez admitted.

Daryl shrugged, pulling a pack of Marlbros from his pocket. "Wanna smoke?"

Martinez shook his head. "I shouldn't. Governor wouldn't like it."

Daryl looked at him, putting the a in his own mouth and flicking open his lighter.

"So? We might be blowing eachother's brains out in a few minutes- 'least I can do is offer you a cig a'fore it happens."

Martinez chuckled, taking the cig he was offered. "It might be the other way around, but what the hell, I love a good smoke."

Daryl brandished the lighter and Martinez leaned forward, ligtng his own ciggarette. Daryl pocketed the lighter, and Martinez looked at him.

"You got anybody left in this world you care about besides Merle?"

"No. Nobody." he said simply, blowing out a puff of smoke. If there was a war, which he knew was most likely gonna happen, and if they DID loose... which they might, he couldn't let them know about Jamie. If they knew he cared about someone... He would deny he loved her until his last breath if it meant saving her life.

"Shame." Martinez said. Daryl shrugged.

"Walker!" they heard the yells and both turned, running back owards camp. The click of silence gunshots sounds, and they ran out to find at least six walkers stumbling towards them, the governor's men and Hershel stood side by side, pumping led into the walkers.

* * *

"I'm not here to negotiate. I'm only here to accept your surrender. I do have a proposal, though. You give us Michonne- and it's all over. We leave each other alone."

"No." Rick said firmly.

Ther Governor chuckled. "You have to be so rash. Thank about it, Rick, all these lives saved, just by giving us one woman..."

"She's one of us." Rick said firmly. "If that's all you wanted to say..."

"Think abut it, Rick. All this bloodshed can stop if you jut hand over Michonne Bring her here, by noon tomorrow. Then it all stops."

"I already told you- no." Rick said firmly.

The Governor smiled. "I know you're thinking about it though, Rick. You'd be a fool not to. So, just in case you change your mind. Tomorrow."

* * *

"'M goin. They've been gone for too long..." Merle said simply. "I know the governor, he don't wanna bargin. He wants me. Me and Michonne."

Michonne looked at him, eyes narrowed. "Which is exactly why we stay here."

"No. My brother's out there, I shoulda gone with him. The governor's probably holdin them hostage..." he threw soe flash grenades from the prison armory into a duffle bag, along with a few rifles.

"No. No one is going anywhere. Rick said to STAY HERE." Glenn said firmly.

Merle grunted. "And you think you're gonna stop me, Chinaman?"

"Yeah. I am." Glenn said simply, eyes hard. Merle had lunged forward, though, was ontop of a struggling Glenn in a minute, one good fist sinking into his ribs over and over again while what was left of his lower arm, minus the knifeblade, which was, thankfully, not at Glenn's throat, pinned his neck and held him down.

"Stop it! I said stop it!" Maggie was screaming, still traumatized from being with the Governor, Carol and Carl watched, shocked.

Jamie was in the room in a minute, staring at the scene before her, wondering what to do. Hse made her choice, then, sinking the toe of her boot into Merle's ribs and knockingmhim off a gaspin Glenn.

"What he hell was that for!?" he demanded, getting up quicker than she'd expected. Luckily Carl came in from the side then, slamming into Merle and driving him backwards, into an open cell.

He ducked out and Jamie slammed the door, Carl pulling the keys from his pocket and quickly locking the door.

Maggie was on the ground beside Glenn, who had a bloody nose, sobbing hysterically as she touched his cheek.

It was clear no one was going to make any move to help them, so Jamie nodded to Beth, who'd trooped out. Judith was probably asleep.

"Jamie- what the hell's wrong with you?!" Merle demanded. "Daryl's probbably dying! He's gonna die, bitch, and it'll be your fault!" Merle was yelling now, grabbing the bars.

Jamie turned away. Maggie was still sobbing and Carol was cleaning the blood from Glenn's face.

"Beth- mind calmin' her down?" Jamie asked Beth nodded, gently taking a hysterical Maggie by the arm and leading her away.

"I'm serious, bitch! Daryl's probably already dead! It's your dalt, bitch! This is on you!" Merle yelled. She didn't let it show, butthe words cut deep. Deeper than anyone really knew.

"He's comin' back." Jamie muttered.

"Yeah- in a body bag! I know the governor, he don't like to wait around none! Soon as he sees them he's shoot 'em, kill 'em all. And he won't even go for the 'll leave 'em, let 'em turn..."

"Daryl's comin' back." Jamie said firmly. "Now quit bitching- you'e scaring people."

"They should be scared! Youknow what happens after this, everybody!? As soon as they kill our men, they come back for us! Bomb this place out, leave us to turn, too! We should be haulin' ass outta here already!"

"Shut up. We stay until they get back." Michonne said simply, eyes narrowing.

Jamie turned, heading to the prison yard, with Carl following after her.

She climbed into a guard tower, staring out along the railed part, where she was into the open air, looking out at the road that led here, praying to see the car.

"You alright?" Carl asked.

Jamie shrugged, leaning against the rusted railing and staring out at the sky.

"What does a shrug mean?" Carl asked, tone so serious she grinned, turning and playfully punching him in the arm.

"It means the shit just hit the fan. But that's happened before. We'll make it."

"We?" Carl asked.

She nodded. "I thought you were in love with me."

"Well I am, I just..l I figured you'd play hard to get longer."

Jamie shook her head. "Nah. Besides, you falla me everywhere. Not like I can loose you. But if you touch me or kiss me and I don't like it, I'll slug ya."

Carl grinned. "That's what I like about you. You know how to take a stand, bullshit doesn't fly when you're around."

Jamie shrugged, nodding to him. "Glenn isn't a strong leader." she said simply. "We should probably go back down. Try and keep the peace."

Carl raised an eyebrow at her. "You? Keep the peace?"

"Well yeah... what are you implying, Grimes?" She asked, looking at him skeptically.

"Oh, nothing, you just seem kinda... impulsive. Not really the peacekeeper type, is all..."

She grinned. "You don't need brains to be a peacekeeper- you jut gotta carry a big gun."

And with that she headed towards the flights of stairs that led towards the prison yard, leaving Carl to smile as he looked down after her. She- no, they- were together in this, now. He liked the sound of that.

* * *

"So- you surrender Michonne, and we'll be fine." the Governor said camly, leaning back, hands behind his head. "That's all."

"She's one of us." Rick said firmly.

"Rick- a war won't happen if you just give her to me." the Governor said, standing. "Bring her back here tomorrow by noon. Otherwise- we'll come for her. I have nothing more to say."

* * *

"They're coming!" Carl yelled. He'd been keeping watch up top while Jamie sat, back against the wall of the guard tower, idly whittling away at some sticks that would soon become arrows. She'd made sure things eere running smoithly downstairs before coming back up to see her friend.

She jumped to her feet, though, sheathing her hunting knife.

"Can you see who's in the car?" she asked, hopeful. Carl shook his head as he perred through the binoculars. Carl shook his head and they both stood in silence for a moment, swallowing, wondering. Would they all come back?

Carl reached over, taking Jamie's hand, and she didn't pull away.

"Think they all came back?" Jamie asked quietly.

Carl shrugged. "Only one way to find out. Come on.".

A minute later they pulled the gare open, an Daryl stepped out of the car along with Hershel and Daryl.

Wordlessly, Jamie hugged Daryl, and he ruffled the fur on her coonskin cap. He was home.


	35. Another Brother Gone

Daryl ruffled Jamie's hair playfully, smiling at her. He headed towards the perch, ready to get settled back in, and Jamie stayed outside. He set his crossbow and arrows down, smiling slightly when he realized Jamie had left out a can of baked beans for him.

He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Rick. He could tell by the look on his friend's face it wasn't good.

"What?"

"The Governor made me an offer." Rick said, looking at him. "We hand over Michonne, and nobody gets hurt. He leaves us alone."

"Yeah, right." Daryl said. "He'll be bangin' on our door a month later, askin for Merle."

Rick was silent, and Daryl looked up at him, green eyes wide. "Don't tell me you're really thinkin about it..."

"I am. One life gone, no more bloodshed..."

"You got any proof he'll leave us alone? Cause we both know that man won't keep his word."

"I'm not just thinking about me here! I'm thinking about Carl, and Jamie, and Judith... ALL of us. You with me?"

Daryl shrugged. "I'll do what you decide." he said, knowing, deep down, Rick would never go with it. If he did, then maybe he and Jamie would need to find a different place. If Rick was willing to do this to Michonne, who was to say anything about Merle next, and then him, and then Jamie would be left alone...

Rick turned to go and he stared after his friend, playing his hunch was right. Rick wouln't do this.

* * *

"Hey brother." Daryl found Merle down in one of the offices.

Merle grunted, looking up. "You know that bitch-" Merle rolled his eyes when Daryl tensed. "Fine. Jamie locked me up today for gettin into a fight with the chinaman."

Daryl shrgged. "Ain't my fault."

"Whatever. Danm, don't they got any good stuff around here? Crystal, maybe, or some more weed..."

"You get high again and you're gone." Daryl said firmly.

Merle laughed. "Whatever. You came down here for a reason, baby brother. It about Rick?"

Daryl nodded. "He told you too?"

" 'Bout Michonne? Sure did. I take it they want me to help. We both know he won't go through with it."

"Yeah." Daryl said.

"I ain't no angel. Hell, I ain't even close to heaven. But maybe they need someone like me round here to do their dirty work..."

Daryl shrugged. "I'm just gonna wait for him to call it off. You seen Jamie round here?"

Merle nodded. "Bi- Kid brought me some squirrel a few minutes ago. Went back upstairs."

Daryl nodded to him before leaving Merle to his own devices.

* * *

It was the next day when Rick offically called it off. And Daryl nodded, not saying he'd had the suspicion that he wouldn't go through with it. Instead, he headed off after Merle, hoping, desperately hoping, his brother hadn't...

But he had. He realized it when Michonne was nowhere to be found, as well as Merle...

He headed towards the motorcycle, grim realization hitting him.

"Daryl..." Rick said, looking at him, hesitation clear on his face.

"Don't bother." Daryl said simply, slinging his crossbow across the back of the motorcycle. "I can stomp my own snakes." and he was gone.

Jamie looked after him, both confused and afraid, wondering why he was headed out on his own. But that didn't sting the most. What stung the most was that he hadn't even said goodbye.

"Jamie." Carl said, looking at her nervously.

"Don't bother." Jamie said, turning towards the whole in the fence, bow slung over her shoulder. She'd get over it, she figured, Daryl had something more important to do. He couldn't be with her ALL the time. Still, though- she just wished he'd said goodbye.

* * *

Daryl leaned over the handlebars, trying not to worry and scowl at the same time. What the hell was Merle thinking, trying to turn Michonne over to the Governor? He knew better than anyone what he'd do to her, she was a member of the group.

He urged the bike faster, turning a corner He remembered the route to the old, rusted metal tubes, the gaveyard of what had been a farm...

He turn the corner and slowed, the bike, putting his foot down on the side to hold it up. He'd seen Michonne, and he looked at her. "You alright?"

"Yeah. He let me go, went off..."

Daryl nodded. "Towards the farm?"

"I'm guessing."

Daryl went nodded, about to continue of, but a hand on his upper shoulder directed his attention back towards Michonne. "Good luck." was all she said, and he nodded before driving on, Michonne disappearing behind him.

He felt the sinking feeling of dread when he stopped the bike. Walkers were everywhere, but knowing Merle, he wouldn't give up, wouldn't let himself be killed. He lifted his crossbow, aiming at a walker who had his back to him, was hunched over a dead body, eating greedily.

He was just about to pull the trigger when it turned, seeing him. He stopped dead. It was Merle.

The crossbow hit the gravel with a crunch. He was frozen, time stopped, as he watched the body that had ince been his brother rise and stagger towards him, skin ashen, blood all over him...

Merle slammed into him and he staggered back, still staring, dumbfounded. He stepped back, trying to keep the tears at bay... When Merle tried to bite him he realized it. It was a walker, not Merle, it was a walker...

He pulled out his knife, shoving back the walker that was his brother, the only kin he had left, and stabbihg the knife through his forehead. Merle fell, but he didn't stop, stabbing again and again and again, until he had to stop and catch his breath. He sat back, looking down at the mutilated body and silently starting to cry.

"Merle..." he whimpered his name before looking up. It was late, it'd be dark in a few hours. Still, even that knowledge didn't pull him out of his greif as he sat for what must've been two hours. When dusk started to come, he kne whe had to stand and looked around. Bodies, bodies all around, they were all the Governor's men, too...

He'd orchestrated this himself. He'd taken his last stand, and at least ten bodies besides his brother had fallen. Daryl looked down at him, nodding tearfully. "ayou did good, brother... you did good. I... I'm proud to have you... had you..." the realization he'd HAD Merle cut deep, and he swallowed.

"Love you, brother." and he turned, heading back towards the motorcycle.

The wind on his face dried his tears, but still, he coldn't help but wonder. Jamie was it, all he had left, now... He gunned the enginge. He'd left Jamie there, hadn't said goodbye, she'd no doubt be upset.

Still, she was all he had left. He drove up driving through, and put down the kickstand to the bike. Rick looked over at him questioningly, but Daryl ignored it.

"Jamie!" he called into the woods.

Jamie looked up from where she was. She'd been down by the creek a few hundred yards into the woods, catching crawfish. They tasted a bit like lobster, and it might raise their weary spirits.

Still, though when she heard Daryl call her name, not a burdcall, she knew simething was wring, She sprinted towards the edge of the woods, slowing to a trot. She couldn't let anyone see she was wirried, show no fear, always show no fear...

What if he'd been hurt? What if he was shot, or what if... what if he was bit? She couldn't bear to watch him die slow, but there was no way she could pick up a gun and finish him...

"Daryl?" she asked, fighting to keep the dread from her voice. She waded through the drainage ditch, not bothering to take the bridge. It was too far away, she wanted to get there asap. She ducked through the hole in the fence, making out Daryl's form through the dark, as well as a concerned looking Rick and Glenn.

"C'mere." Daryl ordered, turning and heading towards the farthest guard tower, not waiting to see if she was behind him. She trotted behind him, ignoring the squishing of her socks in her boots. She was soaked from the knees down from the drainidge ditch, but that could wait...

Daryl opened the door, starting up the stairs. She followed wordlessly, the only sound in the night their footsteps echoing off the stairs. They finally reached the top. Daryl sat heavily, back against the wall, head in his hands, for a minute.

"Come 'ere." His voice was soft, but she could see by his expression how much pain he was in.

She sat on his lap, and he pulled her closer to him, stroking her hair. His breathing was ragged, but his work-worn hands gentle.

She waited in silent dread, in the inky blackness of the night. He took a shaking breath and spoke. "Merle's dead."

"What?" Jamie turned, staring at him, shocked.

Daryl nodded, eyes wet with tears. He simply wiped them away. "The Govrnor made Rick an offer- he handed Michonne over to him, he left us alone."

Jamie stared. "And Rick... Rick did it?"

"No. He called it off a few hours before. But Merle... he tried to take her there..."

"Did Michonne kill him?" Jamie asked, voice tight. If Michonne had had to kill Merle, she'd understand, but that still didn't mean she forgave her for the pain she'd caused Daryl.

"No... Merle realized it was wrong, he let her go. I... he went on a suicide mission... took out ten of the Governor's boys, I found him. He was a walker..."

Jamie clung to him, trying to stay tears. This was just like Ryder, only worse, so much worse, because Daryl had had to kill the walker that was his brother.

"I... I know you didn't like him..."

"I liked him. Sure, he was an asshole, but... he was kinda nice." Jamie said quietly. "He made you happy, was always making fun of me... But most of the time, I could tell he was just teasin' me. Tryin to gt under my skin. But now..." she choked on the tears in the back of her throat, and a few escaped.

"'S okay, Jamie. 'S gonna be okay." he choked out.

And with that she buried her head in his chest snd cried, and Dary held her and rubbed her back, tucking her head under his chin and letting a few tears escape himself.

"I... I wish I hadn't locked him in thr cell so much..." Jamie cried quietly.

The moonlight shone through the windows of the tower, giving everything a greyish silver tinge.

Daryl stroked her hair. "It's all right, Jamie, you had to. You gotta do things sometimes..."

His words seemed to have no effect on her, as she continued to sob into his chest. Another one dead, another person in her life, gone...

"He died a hero, baby girl. Never forget that, you hear? Your Uncle died a hero..."

She nodded, still clinging to his shirt, and she finally cried herself to sleep on Daryl's lap. Daryl wiped his own eyes, before deciding he might as well just sleep while he sat- he was emotionally exhausted, and he let sleep dull the pain.


	36. Battles

They came down from the guard tower next day and were quiet. They'd washed the tear marks from their face, but the others had put the pieces together. Daryl came back alone, yelling hoarsely for Jamie, and both had disappeared for the night. It was obvious something had happened to Merle, and only Daryl and Jamie knew.

The two were quieter that day than normal that next morning, stayed closer to one anither. They were preparing for war, now, getting ready for the impending attack. There were the walkes in the yard, the walkers they'd allowed to build up in the tombs, everything.

They regrouped at noon, and Rick nodded to them. "Carl, Jamie, you're going to be with Beth and Hershel in the woods, hidden."

"You know the place, Jamie. That little clearing..." Daryl said. She looked at him. "I stay with you."

"No. You know what the Governor would do if he found you?"

"I'd kill him before he got the chance." Jamie said firmly. "I'm not leaving you here alone. Not after what happened with M..." she choked on the words in mid-sentence, turning and walking away, not wanting anyone to see her moment of weakness.

Daryl caught up with her, then. "I need you to go."

"I want to stay and fight."

"I know you do- but if things go south, I can't loose you."

"If things go South, then I'll loose you." Jamie said, staring off in the distance. "You promised you'd take care of me- promised you'd never leave."

Daryl swallowed. "I know. Look, I ain't leaving you. Rick needs me- the group needs me..."

"I know. But why can't I be WITH you?"

"Because." Daryl sighed, There was no way he could explain this. "Look. I need you to go. You know where the clearing is- you have to keep Hershel and Beth safe. And lil asskicker. You're brave, you're smart. You're all I got. You need to go. I'll come back- I promise."

"You better, dumbass." Jamie said firmly.

Daryl smiled, reaching out to stroke her hair. "You keep them safe, y'here?"

She nodded. "If we win- will you take me squirrel hunting?"

Daryl grinned. "Yeah. WHEN we win, we'll go squirrel hunting, I promise."

* * *

"There's no way I'm leaving." Carl said firmly. "You need me here- I can fight."

"Beth and Hershel need protection." Rick said quietly.

"Jamie can handle it." Carl said simply.

"Do you have any idea what'll happen to them if we do loose? They find Beth and Jamie..."

"Jamie wouldn't let them do that to her." Carl said firmly. But he was shaken- what if some how the did loose, they got to her...

Rick could see his son wasn't certain and took advantage of it. "Carl- Jamie will need you there. If things go south and she sees Daryl need her, she'll try and save hm. Even if it means running into the line of fire. You need to be there to hold her back, to protect her. And Judy."

Carl nodded slowly, expression softening at the mention of Judith. "Fine. But you WILL come back." Carl said, as though reassuring hmself more than ordering anyone. Rick ruffled his hair, planting a kiss on the top of the boy's head.

* * *

Beth was loading Judith's car seat into the back of the truck, and Jamie strode over.

"Ready?" she asked.

Carl nodded. He pressed something into her hand, out of sight from the others. She looked down, surprised, seeing it was a gun, and looked at him questionably.

"It's my spare. Take it." Carl said quietly.

"I have my bow. You might need it."

"I might die. You might need it to pop off the bastard that kills me." he said.

She looked into his eyes, seeing he was dead serious and tucking it into her belt, just to appease him. She' jump in front of a bullet if she had to- Carl wasn't going to die.

Hershel was driving, Jamie took shotgn, since she knew where they were headed.

Beth was in the back with Carl, Judy's car seat in the middle.

"Everyone buckled in?" Hershel asked, looking at them all in the mirror. Beth smiled faintly. "Yes, Dad. Don't see how it matters..."

"It matters, Beth. Especially with a baby..." Hershel said, looking at the gravel drive ahead.

Almost soon as they were situated in the clearing, a walter came. Jamie, hunter as she was, noticed it first and gave it an arrow through it's brain.

Beth was working on getting Judith's carseat unfastened frim the car, but Carl shook his head. "Leave her in there with the doors close. That way if anything happens to us..."

Jamie acted like she hadn't heard as she retrieved her arrow, but she scowled. If anyone even TRIED to hurt them...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the rapid sucession of gunfire. It was starting.

* * *

Daryl let the bullets rain down, not hesitating to shoot from where he was perched in the tombs. Instantly all hell broke loose, the walkers were nailing th Governor's men, as well as bullets, and they started to just turn and run. Daryl waited until there were no more to shoot at before taking his gun, rising. He felt heavier than before. He'd never liked killing but they'd brought this upon themselves.

* * *

For awhile, they knew nothing. They just heard the shots and screams. But then, they heard the feet pounding through the brush. A teenager with a hat ran into the clearing, and both Jamie and Carl whirled, Jamie with an arow pulled back, Carl with his gun.

"D-don't shoot." he stuttered. A nervous tongue darted over his lips.

Hershel nodded. "Put down the gun, son."

The teen nodded, one hand gently going to lower the gun while the other remained in the air. Carl's hands were shaking as he held the gun, but Jamie had relaxed her bowstring slitly. Se wasn't ready to fire.

No one expected it when Carl fired.

The teen fell, and Beth gasped. Hershel turned away, and Carl moved forward to get the gun he'd dropped. Jamie gave him a look of disgust, which Carl returned with one of bewilderment, when Daryl came through the brush, nodding to them.

"They're gone."  
Jamie nodded, turning and starting towards the fence line, not bothering to looked behind her.

* * *

Putting things together was slow after that, removing the bodies, clearing the walkers. They had no idea what'd happened with the Oernir- all they inew was that they'd won.

The car pulled up in the yard the same time Jamie was there, she was stalking away from Carl as fast as she could.

Carl,ooked after her, eyes longing, before heading owards the cage to sit down and clean his gun.


	37. Dispute

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl and Jamie have an argument over Carl's rapidly changing mentality.

"Carl gunned him down. He was handing over his gun, Rick." Hershel spoke to his friend honestly, looking at him with concern in his eyes.

Rick nodded, swallowing. "I'll talk to him." he said simply, turning and heading outside. He found his son sitting up in the cage, cleaning his gun, and sat down beside him.

"Hershel told me what happened out there. You murdered that boy."

"He had a gun." Carl said, looking over at his father.

"He was handing it over. That's murder, Carl, murder..."

"So you believe Hershel over your own son." Carl scoffed, scowling at him.

"No. We're not going through this argument, Carl. The gun."

Carl looked shocked. "What? No! I need it!"

"You haven't shown your responsible enough yet. Give it to me, Carl."

Carl slammed the gun into his father's open hand and turned, stalking outside the cage. He was heading towards the only person who understood him, now.

* * *

"Jamie. I need my spare gun back."

"Why? ask you can blow someone else's head off?" Jamie asked, looking up at him, scowling.

"How can you say that?" Carl asked, looking genuinely shocked. "He was with the GOVERNOR, the guy who's trying to KILL US!"

"So- he was a kid, Carl. A few years older than us. Just a soldier, the Governor had them under his thumb, he lied to them. He was scared. Handing his gun over, and you just blew his head off."

"I did it for you. For US! As soon as I turned my back, he'd have killed us all!"

Jamie scoffed. "You sound just like Shane. Killing Otis, tryin' to kill your Dad. I'm not yours t look out for, Carl. survived for months on my own without you. I'm your excuse."

The mention of Shane was too much, and Carl slapped her, jumping on top of her and pinning her down. "Just gimme the damn gun, Jamie." he said through grit teeth.  
A second later she'd slammed the heel of her hand into his nose, blood was pouring out, and he was reeling. She shoved him off her, he ended up on his back, and she straddled him, thighs pinning his arms to his side, her forearm across his throat enough t make breathing a struggle.

There was a fire in her eyes, something he'd never seen before.

"HELL NO." she ground out through grit teeth. She grabbed his and pulled him up by the collar, staring at him long and hard.

"I've been on he road longer than you, Carl. Hell, I've seen things and done things you'd never in your wildest fantasy of HELL have to do. If you EVER lay a hand on me again, I'll kick your teeth in."

She stood, brushing herself off, then, walking away and not looking back, leaving Carl on the pavement, wondering what the hell he'd just done.


	38. Jamie Dixon

Carl scowled when he saw the grey bus pull in. "What's this?" he asked Rick, who sighed.

"The Governor gunned down his army. These are what's left if his people. They're scared, they didn't have enough people to defend the wall. They're scared, we have a safe place. They're staying with us."

Carl scoffed, shaking his head, walking away, and Rick sighed. The citizens of Woodbury were filing out, now, looking around, as though scared. They had every right to be, after hearing their trusted leader had gunned down about half of their population.

They were milling around, and Rick lifted a welcoming hand and spoke. "My name is Rick- Rick Grimes. I know it doesn't look like much, but it has fences. Now, you're all welcome here. I'd like to introduce you all to the group."

Carol nodded. "I'm Carol."

"Hershel Greene. These are my daughters, Maggie and Beth."

"And this is my husband." Maggie said, smiling at Glenn.

"My son Carl is around here somewhere, as well." Rick said. "I assume you know Michonne, and... Daryl! Get over here!" Rick yelled.

Everyone looked over to see Daryl skinning a squirrel with Jamie nearby. She was in the denim jacket that'd belonged to Ryder, hair in a ponytail that contrasted with the coon tail that dangled from her cap.

Daryl sheathed his hunting knife and stood, and Jamie set down the arrow she'd been making, flipping in her switchblade and pocketing it.

They strode over to surprised looking crowd of villagers. Daryl wiped his bloody hands on his jeans. "I'm Daryl Dixon, if that's all you wanna know."

Daryl looked to to Jamie, who spoke easily. "Name's Jamie. Jamie Dixon."

Rick looked over at her, slightly surprised. Jamie was basically Daryl's daughter, but she'd never before called herself Dixon. Still, it was fitting. Like it was meant to be.

Daryl had known that regardless of blood ties, Jamie was his. He couldn't help but beam with pride when she said his last name- she was a Dixon.

"Can we go squirrel huntin now? You promised." Jamie said quietly. Daryl nodded. "Go get the bows." the onlookers from Woodbury watched as she went over to the small area beside the guard tower, coming back with her own bow slung across her chest and Daryl's crossbow. Daryl nodded to Rick, before heading towards the hole in the fence, Jamie beside him.  
They ducked outside the fence and disappeared into the forest.

Rick nodded. "You can all choose your beds in the cell block- what's our is your now."

* * *

They had the fire as normal that night. The people from Woodbury were slowly mingling and adjusting to being at the prison, and the children laughed slightly as they told jokes. Lizzy and Mika sat beside their father calmly, eyes scanning the fire.

There was a sound, then, an eerie birdcall, in the distance, and everyone fell silent, looking to Rick.

"It's just Daryl calling to Jamie." Rick said calmly.

"Wouldn't they have to be separated for him to be calling?" One of the new residents asked, and everyone collectively paled.

"Jamie is fine- she's a tough kid." Rick said calmly.

"She's a little girl." Lizzy's father said quietly, moving to be closer to his own girls.

There was another eerie birdcall in the night, Jamie's response, followed by the sudden, fierce moaning of a walker eager to kill.

"Jamie!"

There was a sickening squish, then, and the moaning stopped.

"Got the fucker." Jamie voice drifted through the darkness, and Rick had to grin. He could tell by her voice she was smiling.

"That's m'girl." Daryl smiled, and they both materialized by the dim reaches of firelight, ducking through the hole in the fence and tying the wire back in place.

They approached, as normal, and Rick nodded to them. "Get anything?"

Daryl nodded, tossing a string of squirrels down. Jamie knelt for a moment, wiping her bloody knife on her jacket to clean it. The red smears stained, and people couldn't help but stare...

"What was that all about?" Carol asked. "You two get separated?"

Daryl nodded. "Yeah- herd cut us off down by the creek, had to split up and double back. Met up again by the fence."

"What happened by the fence?" a woman asked, voice shaking.

"That? Jamie heard me coming, was trying to figure out if I was a walker or not. Walker came up behind her, I yelled, and she whirled and nailed the bitch." Daryl said, handing some meat to Carol. "Might as well cook it, seeing we got people." he said simply. Jamie wasn't much for talking. She didn't know these people, they probably thought she was strange. Besides, she was much more comfortable just speaking to the original group.

"Jamie- c'mon." Daryl nodded to Rick, and they both headed towards the guard tower. They'd taken to sleeping in it ever since they'd spent the night there after Merle was killed. It was unofficially theirs.

* * *

Carl had befriended a boy his age named Patrick. It was taking his mind off... her... but still, he couldn't help but stare when she came by the fire with Daryl.

Ponytail a little shorter than the raccoon tail from her cap, it still showed it's chestnut color. Her ripped up jeans and denim jacket, the one that'd belonged to Ryder, was now a vest. The sleeves had been shredded over the course of time, and he couldn't help but smile as the people from Woodbury blanched when she started to clean her knife on it. Typical Jamie.

She looked up and met his eyes for a split second before looking away, giving him a painful reminder that she wasn't speaking to him.

Still, she looked hot. Dirt on her face, blood on her jacket, and that cool, confident look in her eyes, with a little hint of mischief mixed in. She was still Jamie- but it stung, since she wasn't his.

As soon as she was gone, Patrick elbowed him. "She's pretty cute."

"I know. She's mine." Carl lied.

"No way." Patrick said, looking at his friend through his thick-rimmed glasses, surprised. Carl's eyes were narrowed, a grim expression on his face. He realized Carl was serious.

"Sorry, man, I didn't know."

"It's fine. You'll get to know her soon enough. Just don't get too close."

Patrick didn't know it yet, but Jamie was untamable- he just hoped somehow, he'd be able to get her back.

* * *

"Jamie." Daryl said, watching as his daughter rolled out her blanket for the night.

"Yeah?"

"Y'did good out there, by the fence."

"I know." Jamie said simply, giving him that grin she had. " G'Night, Dad."

" 'Night, Jamie.


	39. Never Miss

"You have a baby?" Mika asked, looking shocked, as they brought out Judith in her carseat. She gurgled happily, smiling at the sunlight. All the girls crowded around, except from Jamie, who was a fifteen yard away, working a squirrel hide.

Rick nodded. "Her name is Judith- she likes to be outside. Keep her in the carseat, though."

Lizzy nodded, and Rick set down the car seat, confident all the kids would keep good watch over her. Besides, they were behind the fences, nothing bad would happen.

Still, Judith fell asleep in the sunshine, and the kids soon got bored and headed towards the fence to watch the walkers go by.

Jamie kept an eye on her, looking up occasionally from where she sat. She was alone today, Daryl had gone off on a scavenging mission with Michonne and Glenn.

Everyone looked up when they heard it. The all-too-familiar buzzing of a rattle snake. Jamie instinctively looked over to see it by Judith and swore quietly, going for her bow. The people from Woodbury looked on terrified, and Judith's eyelids fluttered. If she woke up and started to cry...

Jamie knotched an arrow and stood carefully, finding the bastard snake in her sights. Wordlessly, she let the arrow fly. It struck the snake's head, going through the other side, and the snake fell, writhing on the ground for a moment, before it laid still, dead.

Judith gurgled happily, awake, and Jamie walked over, examining the kill. She pulled out her knife and sliced the tail off the rattler, placing in in Judith's chubby fingers and smiling slightly as the baby shook it, laughing at the sound it made.

"You could've shot her!" Lizzy yelled, looking over at Jamie, horrified.

Jamie looked over at her calmly, shouldering her bow. "I don't miss." was all she said, before turning, heading off to ditch the carcass in the woods. It still had venom in the fangs, she didn't want it anywhere near the people here.

Carl looked at her, surprised and grateful. "I- thanks." he said awkwardly.

"No problem." she said, looking equally as awkward. She brushed a stray lock of hair from her face before ducking outside and disappearing into the woods. They still weren't speaking.

* * *

It was two days later when it happened. A passing herd came by, they were kept out by the fences, though. Until they heard Lizzy's father screaming. "Mika!"

Jamie threw a glance out to see Mika outside the fence, walkers coming in from both sides, frozen with fear.

"Open the gate!" Jamie yelled. Patrick obeyed, and she was sprinting out, bow in hand, ready for a fight.

She sent an arrow through a walker that'd been coming up behind Mika, looking at the terrified girl. "Mika! Come on, kid!"

Mika made no move to come towards the gate. Her life was literally flashing before her eyes, now, and Jamie swore, sprinting out, knotching an arrow as she went.

"Mika! Go!" she yelled. She shoved the girl towards he open gate, Patrick was frantically calling her. Finally, Mika started to stumble towards the gate. Jamie covered her, arrows flying into all the walkers that were coming. But that left her standing there, walkers on all sides...

Carl stared as Carol pulled the gate shut, locking it.

"She'll make it." Carol said simply, looking at Jamie. But she was running low on arrows, fighting hard...

"Jamie!" Rick ran to the fence, and Carl found his heart pounding in his chest, Jamie, HIS best friend and possibly girl friend, was trapped outside the fence...

He ran into the cell he and his father had been staying in, pulling out the case from under the bed. He opened the case, pulling out his gun and loading it, turning and running towards the hole in the fence. The gate was shut, but it'd be a cold day in hell when he left Jamie for dead.

"Jamie!" Daryl was heading for the gate, but Rick grabbed him, holding him back. "You can't go out there! It's suicide!"

There was a thud as another walker fell, another arrow came, but at least twenty walkers were still coming. He pulled the wire binding the fence together out, slipping out and racing towards her, gun raised.

There was the metallic sound as the silenced gun shot, like a clink, and a walker that'd been feet from her fell at her feet. She turned and looked over ay him, and he fought his way through the herd until they were standing, back to back, facing death on every side.

They were still emerging from the woods, still coming.

"There's too many." Jamie panted.

Carl nodded, sending another few rounds through a walker's head.

"What do we do?"

"Break for the woods on three. One..." There was the hiss of an arrow leaving her bow, the squish of it catching a walker between the eyes.

"Two..." a walker hissed at the pair, staggering forward, hands up and ready to scratch. A bullet through it's brain stopped it in it's tracks.

"THREE!"

They both broke off, sprinting for the woods. They split up momentarily, to cause more of a distraction. She could hear Rick and Daryl yelling behind them, but she shook off the words, coming up to a walker that'd been trying to cut her off, knife sliding between his eyes.

"Carl!"

"Jamie!"

She turned to find walkers were stumbling across the bridge that led over the drainage ditch and swore, moving as fast as she could through the water. She turned to see Carl had fallen, there was a walker right behind him...

Carl fumbled for his gun. He'd dropped it in the water somewhere. He found it, but it was useless wet, and he turned to see the walker about to fall onto him...

There was the hiss of an arrow cutting through the air, and a moment later the walker fell into the water beside him. Jamie dragged him to his feet and they both staggered out of the water, closer to the woods than before, walkers still stumbling after them.

"Let's go."

And they both stumbled into the trees.


	40. Alone Together

They tore through the woods like a bat out f hell, racing towards wherever their weren't walkers. When some cam up on their right, Jamie turned left, guiding him down a game trail until they were both staggering and could hardly run anymore. They came up on a low-branched maple and Jamie nodded to him. "Climb."

They sat together in it's branches, away from any walkers that might happen t stumble on them, panting.

They were both covered in mud, walker blood, and sweat, which made dirt and leaves stick to them like glue.

Jamie smiled slightly as she looked over at him. "Finally livin' up to your name, Grimes."

Carl gave her a breathless laugh, and they just sat in silence for a few minutes, catching their breath.

Carl spoke first. "Where are we?"

Jamie shrugged. "No idea. Daryl and I never went out this far. Figured anywhere was better than with the walkers."

Carl nodded, still looking concerned.

"You can find your way back, right?"

"Sure can. With the trail we made, leaves all over, footprints everywhere... I can backtrack us to the prison, s'long as it doesn't rain and wash the trail away. And even then, I have a general idea where we're headed..."

Carl nodded, looking around below them. They were near a small clearing, it would make a good campsite...

"Hey. I never thanked you for saving my ass out there." Jamie said.

Carl shrugged. "Figured I couldn't let you die. Not after what you did for Judy a few days ago..."

They were both silent for a beat, eyes meeting, They both knew that wasn't the only reason he'd saved her. There was still a spark there, somewhere...

"Yeah, well, that's the only reason I'm standin' here right now, so thanks."

Carl nodded. "You did drag me out of that drainage ditch, you know. I'd say we're even, now."

Jamie nodded, smiling at him slightly. "Sorry about not talking to you."

"Its fine." Carl said simply, looking around the clearing, making sure no walkers were coming.

"We should head back tomorrow. We head back today when that herd isn't broken up..."

Carl nodded absently, and they settled into silence. Finally, he spoke.

"Why do you think Mika was outside the fence?"

"No idea. Just knew I had to get her back in before the walkers got her."

Carl nodded. "We should look around, see if we can find anything useful."

Jamie nodded. "There's a game trail off to the left. I can try and kill something. You head right. I remember a creek ran up this way..."

Carl nodded. "What's the signal?"

"For when something goes wrong? Just start screaming like a bitch, I'll come running." Jamie assured him with a grin. Carl nodded, and they both scanned the area carefully, finding n danger, before they jumped down.

Carl nodded to Jamie. "Be back by sunset."

"I will." she assured him. Then, she turned and seemed to just vanish into the brush.

Carl turned and went left, leaving but knowing she was only a bit away. He had to admit he was relieved when he stumbled across the creek, just like she'd said. The water as actually surprisingly clear, and he bent down, taking a long drink. He noticed a frog to his left and felt a pang, remembering frog hunting with Shane. Still, there was no time for that...

He and Jamie would find a tree around here somewhere, he figured, make camp near the water and follow it back to the prison. He heard brush crunch behind him and turned to see Jamie standing there, a fresh smudge of blood across her cheek.

He was about to raise his gun and ask if she'd been bit when he noticed the freshly killed rabbit in her other hand, blood dripping from the carcass.

"You alright?" he asked.

She nodded. "'M fine, Found something, though. Figured I'd better get you.

Carl stood, hope and fear mingling within him. "What is it?"

"Campsite. Tent, some tarps, stuff."

"And you didn't check it out?" Carl asked, slightly surprised.

"I don't know if anyone's livin' in it. Couldn't find any tracks, but still, you never know... I need you to watch my back. I'm not stupid enough to think I could take on a herd by myself."

Carl smiled. "Getting smarter, are we?"

"Shut up and get your ass over here." Jamie said, punching his arm playfully. Carl couldn't help but smile as he fell into step beside her, It was like old times again.

"So- what do you think's in the camp?" he asked, eager to talk to her again. She shrugged, looking over at him with that mischievous glint in her eye. "Wouldn't mind some peanut butter. Hell, it's been so long since I've had some peanut butter..."

Carl nodded. "I'd kill for a Milky Way. You know, the good kind, the ones you'd eat on a hot summer day after you left them in the car. They were half melted, got chocolate all over the place... You know?"

Jamie nodded, smiling. "Yeah. I know the kind. Or maybe a pack of cigarettes. For Daryl. Or something for Judy..."

"Yeah. Yeah, like a pillow pet." Carl said, looking over at her. Jamie put her hand out and stopped him, crouching. "It's just above this ridge."

Carl nodded. "We go on three."

"Screw that- I'm going. Just cover me." Jamie ordered, and Carl couldn't help but smile. That was Jamie alright.

She pulled herself up by the exposed roots of the tree, crouching and moving quickly. Carl stood behind her, now, gun up, ready to shot anything threatening.

There were two tents, and Jamie nodded to Carl as she stepped towards the first one. The flap was partially open, and Carl nodded to her. In one swift motion she'd torn it open. There was a bloody blanket, some broken crayons...

She shook her head, letting Carl know there was nothing. He nodded, motioning with his head towards the other tent. She pulled it open, revealing some shreds of cloth and what looked to be a gun, lying in the center of the floor.

She bent down and picked it up, sliding it into her waste band. Dusk was coming, and she nodded to Carl. "Place looks clear. Let's see what we can find."

Carl nodded, heading to search a rotting picnic table to the left, while she knelt beside the fire pit. She dug around in the ashes for a bit, coming up with a small, rusted pot.

"Find anything?" she called over to Carl. He nodded, showing her a bottle of Jack Daniels. She grinned. Daryl would love that, if they managed to get it back. She stood, nodding to him.

"We start a fire, we can cook the rabbit in this."

Carl nodded, and they both headed back towards the clearing. dusk had been gathering on the horizon, and they'd made a make-shift fire pit with enough wood to last for cooking. Jamie looked around, finding a rock and grinning. Flint, She struck her knife on it, sparks flew, she struck it again, blowing on the sticks... Finally, it caught, and they had a small fire going.

Jamie nodded to him. "Mind filling this up at the creek?" she asked, nudging the pot with her foot. Someone had to stay and tend the fire, and while Carl wasn't experienced int he art of fire building, she'd done it quiet a bit before, when she'd been with Ryder...

Carl took up the pot and disappeared off towards the creek. The darkness seemed to swallow him up, and Jamie couldn't help but worry. Walkers came out at night. If they found him... No. He had a gun. They'd cook the damn rabbit and climb a tree for the night.

She poked the fire with a stick of green wood that wouldn't burn, re-arranging the logs. The fire crackled and hissed from where she crouched, but she was too busy trying to keep the small thing alive she didn't notice when he came.

He was a man in his mid thirties, covered in grime, and he smiled when he saw her.

"Been awhile since I've had any fun." he remarked. Her head snapped up and he took a step towards her. She saw the look on his face, that sick, twisted look. She'd seen it before. She scrambled for her bow, but he'd kicked it away.

"Hey!" he snapped. "That anyway to treat a friend?"

"Get away from me." she snarled, staring hatefully at him. There was the gun in the back of her waistband, but it was full of dirt and wasn't loaded. She stared hatefully at him, remembering her knife. She already knew what he wanted- and there was no way in hell this bastard was going to get it.


	41. Lovers at Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carl and Jamie run into a little trouble outside the fence.

She didn't dare scream for fear of attracting walkers. His hands were rough and fierce, trying to get at her. But if there was one thing she'd learned from all this, it was how to fight.

She head-butted his face, blood burst from his nose and his grip on her hand loosened. She struggled harder, and he snarled. "Dammit, bitch! Stop moving! Trust me- once we get started, you'll like it."

"Burn in hell." she spat, eyes burning. He slapped her across the face, her cheek in the dirt, dazed, still fighting, clawing blindly at his face, now. He was straddling her, now, and he ripped the knife from her hand, starting to slice open her shirt at the collar...

There was a metallic sound, and he fell onto her heavily. She scrambled out from under him, shocked, as blood pooled on the leaves around her.

She heard leaves crunching, and a moment later Carl was beside her, hands on her shoulders. "Are you okay?" he asked, anxious.

She nodded. "I... yeah. I'm fine. You shot his head?" her breath was still coming in short gasps, though, her eyes were wide, and he gently took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze, he wouldn't try to get any closer to her now, and he wasn't thinking of her as attractive. He was thinking of her as a friend who needed help.

"Yeah. Bastard ain't coming back." Carl said. They both looked over at his body, faced own, the anticipatory, sick grin still on his face, now splattered with his own blood.

"Let's cook this stuff and get to the tree." Jamie said, stabbing a piece of rabbit meat and placing it over the dying fire as though nothing had happened. Truthfully- she was rattled to the core, but she couldn't let Carl know that. Any weakness shown would be exploited, whether it was by the living or the dead, and there was no way she'd let hat happen. She cooked the first piece of meat thoroughly, knowing Carl wasn't used to eating things raw, before cooking her own, leaving it a little bloody.

She nodded to him, and they both walked to the creek together, after putting out the fire. Carl looked over at her. She seemed to be tinted silver by the nearly full moon. She looked on ahead, nodding when they'd found the tree and starting to climb.

Before long they both sat in the branches, out of the reach of walkers, eating rabbit meat.

"You didn't seem afraid." Carls aid. Jamie looked up from her meal to meet his eyes, wiping some rabbit blood off her face with her sleeve.

"Don't have time to be afraid, whether it's the living or the dead baring down on you."

"Yeah, but you had to be scared." Carl said, looking at her. She hadn't shown any fear throughout the encounter, had only looked scared at the end, once it was over...

She shrugged. "Not really. It's happened before."

"You were..." Carl gaped at her.

"No- but people have tried before, a man I met on the road got shot for trying. You will too, you try anything." she said, eyeing him warily.

Carl had to admit that hurt a bit- but she had a right to be suspicious of ALL men, to possibly hate them, after what she'd been through.

"I'd never do that." Carl said quietly.

"I know." she said, moving to straddle the branch next to his.

"I know you hate me for killing that kid..."

"I never hated you. I was disappointed, sure, a lil afraid of what you were becoming. But I never hated you."

Carl nodded, surprised. And then she was hugging him, straddling the same tree branch he was, arms wrapped around his torso... He hugged back. God, she smelled good, like pine needles and dirt, her hair fell onto his shoulder...

He wanted more. he wanted to much more from her tonight, forever... But he didn't dare take it. He'd have to be a sick bastard to try that, she was still probably emotional over what'd happened with the man. To take advantage of her after that would be sick.

She finally pulled away, brushing her raccoon tail from her face, eyes meeting his own in the silver moonlight.

"Do you love me?"

"Yes." he spoke without hesitation, and she smiled sadly. "Daryl would be pissed as hell..."

"Who says Daryl would need to know? That anyone would need to know? About our relationship, I mean. I'll move as slow as you want to, where you wanna be, I'll be there."

Jamie smiled slightly, looking at him. "Man I love this."

"Love what?" Carl asked, looking anxious.

"When I got you all worked up over nothin', following me around like a lil kid. When I ain't even tryin'."

Carl smiled. "Who said anyone would have to know, anyways? We could hold hands when no one was looking, sneak off sometimes to talk..."

"I'd like that." Jamie said, smiling at him. He teeth shone so beautifully white in the moonlight, he couldn't help but stare...

She laughed. "Not tonight, Grimes." and she slid over so she was back on the tree branch next to his, settling, back against the large tree trunk, looking up at the stars.

"You ready?" she asked, looking over at him. He couldn't help it, and she smiled. His eyes were bugging out. "Carl!" she snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"Huh? What? Oh, tomorrow... right. Yeah, I'm ready to go back, I guess..."

"Good. We have to head back early- don't want Rick and Daryl heading out to track us. We'll hope the herd has passed by. We have ti be back by dawn..."

"Get some sleep. I'll keep watch." Carl said calmly.

She looked like she was going to protest for a moment, but Carl stopped her with a serious look. "Sleep. You need it, after today. Besides, I won't sleep anyways... I'm not used to cuddling up with trees."

She gave him a slight smile, muttering, "city boy." before curling up against the bark truck and drifting iff to sleep. She was exhausted, and Carl was content to just watch her sleep, now, knowing she was his.

Dawn came all too soon, but he shook her awake and they headed along the creek, walking the winding path of it back towards the prison, every now and then their hands brushing each other. They mainly were focused on hooding their weapons, though, and talking, the words flowing as easily as the water did in the creek...

* * *

 

The adults all gathered nervously as Rick and Daryl got ready. Ever since Jamie and Carl had disappeared into the woods, they'd been grim and serious.

"You're coming back. Right?" a woman asked nervously.

Rick simply nodded. Daryl was loading his crossbow, hoping he wouldn't have to use it. The horde from yesterday had dispersed, it was relatively clear today, with the few, normal amounts of walkers...

There was an eerie call from the tree line, Daryl's head snapped to the side, and he nodded to Patrick. "Open the gate, kid."

He cupped his hands around his mouth, letting out a similar call, and both children emerged from the brush, Carl standing guard, gun ready, while Jamie retrieved the arrows that'd been stuck in the fallen walkers from yesterday.

She finally nodded to him, when her quiver was half full, and they both noted the position of walkers before sprinting through the gate.

Everyone seemed to gape, and Daryl stepped forward, nodding to Jamie, and she fell into step beside him, walking off to discuss what'd happened.

Rick smiled, stepping forward and hugging Carl, who stiffened before awkwardly patting his father's back. Rick blinked furiously- he'd known his son was with Jamie, known his boy was tough... but it was good he was safe again, where he could protect him.

* * *

 

"You alright?" Daryl asked, looking over at her.

She nodded, and he licked his thumb, trying to remove a streak of dirt from her cheek.

She looked disgusted and pushed him away. "Damn- you're getting to be more like Carol every day."

Daryl chuckled, and they kept walked.

"What happened to your face?" he asked, nodding towards the scratches.

"Blackberry bushes." she said. She was glad the grime covering her covered the fingerprint bruises on her arms, or else he'd be demanding to know how'd she'd got them.

"You made out alright?"

"Yep. Killed a rabbit, ate it. Followed the creek back here."

Daryl nodded, smiling at her. "Knew you'd do it. Don't tell anyone, but Rick was a total wreck, not that a blame the man, after what happened with Lori, but he didn't sleep. Just wandered the fence line, calling for Carl."

Jamie cocked an eyebrow, giving him a glance. "And you?"

"I sat by the fence all night. Wasn't worried none, though."

Jamie rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"Really! I wasn't. I just called every now and then, figured you'd be holed up in a tree somewhere, but I figured I should stay up and listen in case you needed help or somethin'- or you called."

She rolled her eyes again. "Don't gotta worry 'bout me, Dad- I survived for months before you found me. Ryder and I been in tighter spots before."

"Like what?"

"Like at the Georgia state line. Surrounded by walkers, no way out, feeding frenzy over some kid. Sat under dead bodies for hours, just bein' still and waiting for them to pass."

"You were lucky." Daryl said, still looking concerned.

"You don't make it this far by bein' lucky." Jamie countered, looking over at him. "I just know not to be afraid no more." she said. And it was true. She hadn't been afraid, hadn't shone fear until her fight with the man in the woods was over and he'd laid dead.

Daryl nodded. "Just- be careful, alright?

She nodded seriously, before grinning at him. "Wanna wrestle?" she asked, a challenge glinting in her eyes.

"You're on, kid."


	42. Home Again

It was the same night they got back, before they went to the fire, when they met up. Jamie smiled, taking Carl's hand, and they walked the fence line for a bit, darkness hiding them from everyone.

"Did you tell your Dad?" Jamie asked quietly.

"About the man in the woods- no. I figured you wouldn't want Daryl to know, or he'd get overprotective- like my Dad."

"You and Judy are all he has left. If my father were still alive, he'd be the same way." Jamie said, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. She looked up at the stars, as though wishing.

Carl nodded, waiting fir a moment before speaking. "Daryl gives you so much freedom."

"Does he? I only hunt when he's with me. He's only let me go into the woods twice or so on my own, and the only reason he did that was so I wouldn't go stir crazy worrying about him while he was on supply runs. He watches me- all the time. Don't matter if I'm skinnin a squirrel or shooting a walker. He's always there, ready to step in when I need it."

Carl nodded. "I guess you're not as free as I thought. Still, after Daryl lost Merle, you were all he had... What happened? With Merle, I mean."

Jamie looked away again. "I don't wanna talk 'bout it."

Carl nodded, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as an apology. Jamie turned and looked over at him.

"What if it came down to me and Judith? Or me and your Dad? You could only save one- who would you choose?"

Carl gaped. "Don't- you can't expect me to answer that."

"Choose your family." she said firmly. "If it came down to you and Daryl, I hate to say it, but I might choose Daryl. We look out for our own."

"But... I thought you loved me?"

"I do. But right now, I love Daryl more. He took me in, protected me, after Ryder died."

"Why are we talking about this?" Carl asked, looking pained at the discussion of having to choose between his best friend, now girlfriend, or a family member.

"Because it might happen someday. You know it as much as I do." she gave his hand a gentle squeeze, and Carl nodded. "I'd save my family, too, if it came down to it..."

"Thank you. It makes me feel like less of a murderer to hear you say that. I don't want to get cold, like Shane..."

"Shane was a good man." Carl said, voice choking off at the end slightly. "Known him since I was born. Before all this..."

"Stuff like this makes good people go bad. I focus on the good memories- about my Dad before this. Lily before..."

"Yeah." Carl said, nodding. "Best not to focus on the bad things."

There was silence for a beat. Then Carl spoke. "You know- maybe we don't have to go to the fire tonight. We have that bottle of Jack Daniels..."

"We're only thirteen." Jamie said, giving him a small smile.

"Fourteen." Carl said, looking down at her.

She looked surprised. "Since when?"

"Yesterday."

"Then happy birthday, Grimes." she planted her lips on his, a small, gentle kiss. She'd never kissed before, and wasn't sure what to do, but she was sure she'd done something right when she pulled back, since Carl was actively kissing back, there was a spark in his eyes...

"Come to the fire in a few minutes. Make up an excuse- I'll say something about making arrows. Don't want our Dads to know."

He nodded, dumbfounded, and she gave him a small smile before heading towards the fire.

"Where you been?" Daryl asked, looking up from where he'd been roasting their portion of meat over the fire.

"Tryin' to carve an arrowhead outta bone. Knife's too dull." Jamie said, setting down the dull knife beside Daryl. He'd sharpen it for her later.

"What kinda bone were you using?" he asked, curious.

She shrugged. "Lower leg of a rabbit. Squirrel were too small."

"Try the hip bone- easier to cut."

Jamie nodded, taking mental note, before looking across the fire at Mika. "Why'd you go outside the fence?"

Mika looked scared. "I..I saw a cat."

Jamie nodded. "I ain't mad at ya, so don't be scared. Don't do it again. Until you can kill ten by yourself, you aren't ready."

"She definitely won't be." Mika's father said calmly. "Thank you- for what you did yesterday."

Jamie shrugged. "Wasn't nothin Rick or Daryl woulda done. Carl save my ass out there when I needed it."

"But Rick and Daryl DIDN'T do it. You did. That deserves thanks." Carol said seriously, looking over at her. While everyone was trying not to make it obvious, they were all listening to the conversation.

Jamie realized what Carol was implying and looked at her, confused. "What are you sayin'? Rick and Daryl woulda done it- I was closest, I got outta the gate first. That's the only reason they didn't."

Carol simply nodded, leaving Jamie slightly unsettled.

"Look- whatever you people are thinkin'- I didn't do nothin special. Everything I learned about survival I learned from Daryl, Rick, and my Dad..."

"Daryl is your Dad- isn't he?" Lizzy asked, looking confused.

"By everything but blood." Daryl said simply, putting an arm around her shoulder. She smiled. He'd sensed she was getting uncomfortable, was, once again, coming to her rescue.

"What happened to your real family?" Mika asked.

"Mika!" Mika's father scolded her, but everyone was looking to her for an answer, now...

"Don't wanna talk 'bout that. Daryl's my family now. Daryl and Rick and Carol and Hershel and his family."

Hershel nodded from where he was by the fire, Beth looked up at her friend sympathetically, and Maggie looked around fiercely from where she held Glenn's hand, daring anyone to ask about Jamie's past again.

The tension was abruptly broken when Carl ran in. "Hey guys! I made a kazoo! Check this out-" he out his lips to what looked like a mess of wax paper and some odds and ends and hummed, and the distinct buzzing of a kazoo sounded.

Judith laughed, and instantly, all the littler kids were around him.

"Lemme try!"

"That's so cool!"

"How'd you make it?"

Carl laughed, holding it out of their reach. "One at a time, guys..."

Jamie couldn't help but smile. She told Carl to make an excuse for being late, and he came up with a kazoo. The adults were smiling as they watched, now, and Jamie couldn't help but grin. that was Carl- smart, kind, resourceful- but most importantly, he was hers.


	43. One of Our Own

It was the next day when they saw it. Chelsea, a woman in her mid twenties, was standing by the fence, facing the walkers. Mika, who'd taken to playing with her, ran over. "Chelsea! Wanna play?"

Chelsea turned. Her skin has a slight grey tint, her eyes were amber with flecks of gold, and she was a walker.

Mika turned and ran, screaming.

"Mika!" Carol yelled, afraid for the girl.

Mika ran to her father, as the walker that was Chelsea stumbled after her.

"Everyone back!" Carl yelled, running for his gun.

Rick dropped his hoe, starting to escort people back. It was crazy, they'd never had a walker within the fence, let alone one of their own...

Daryl pulled back his crossbow, loading it quickly, but Jamie looked at him. "I wanna do it."

She didn't have her bow, but she could use the practice. Daryl nodded. "Anything goes wrong, though, I'll take her out..."

Jamie nodded, approaching in a half-crouch.

"Hey! Shithead, over here!" Jamie yelled. The walker turned, stumbling towards her, this time, growling and moaning, eager for flesh...

Jamie drew her knife, looking to Daryl for a moment.

Daryl nodded. "Now."

And she was sprinting forward, jumping and driving her knife through it's forehead. Chelsea fell, and Jamie pulled out her knife, looking towards Daryl.

He nodded his approval, smiling slightly. "That's m' girl." he said quietly.

"You killed her!" Lizzy was storming out from the crowd, now, to Jamie. "You killed Chelsea!"

Jamie looked at her, wiping her bloody knife on her jeans. "That WASN'T Chelsea. It was a walker."

"It was Chelsea! And you killed her, you filthy murderer! I bet you murdered your family too! That's why you have no parents- you killed them!"

"Shut up!" Jamie fist met Lizzy's face, and the girl ended up on the pavement.

Lizzy scrambled to her feet, though, angrier than before.

"Well? Who'd you kill? You mom, dad, maybe your brothers and sisters!? Speak up!"

"I didn't have a choice!" Jamie yelled, voice choking off at the end.

Lizzy burning haze met her own. "You ALWAYS have a choice."

"They were bitten! I...I couldn't let them turn..."

"You could've. They could've lived. Walkers are people too!"

"They aren't! My father asked to be shot! Begged for it, didn't want to become one..." Jamie said, looking away.

"And your brothers and sisters?" Lizzy asked. "How many of them did you kill?"

"I..."

"How many!?" Lizzy yelled.

"Lily! I shot Lily while she was sleeping! She was bit, the fever was coming, hard, my father told me to end her and asked my brother to shoot him, alright?! There was no happy ending!" tears were streaming down her face at this point.

"Stop." Everyone turned to see Carl shove his way through the crowd of people towards Jamie, grab her hand. "Jamie saved your sister. She deserves gratitude."

"She's a murderer." Lizzy said, arms crossed.

Unexpectedly, Carl's open hand struck Lizzy's face and she was in the ground. "Jamie did the only thing she could." he said in a low voice. "And if I hear you call her a murderer one more time, it'll be the last word that comes from your lips."

"Jamie..." Daryl looked over at her, eyes pained. Everyone had heard what she said, they all looked at her with mixtures of pity on their faces.

She took off running for the tombs, ducking inside and slamming the door behind her. Darkness, sweet darkness, swallowed her. No one could see her here, no one would dare follow.

She slid down the door, pulled her knees to her chest, and cried, cried for all she was worth. Everyone knew, now, knew she was really just some lost kid Daryl had taken in, someone who'd killed...

There was moaning near her, and she fumbled for her knife. No time for weakness- at your weakest moments they would come, they would kill. She wiped her nose on her sleeve, taking a shaking breath and standing ready with her knife. She could make out the dark shape of a walker stumbling towards her.

She'd never been that good with a knife, but she ran on cue, jumping and driving it through the walker's head. Blood splattered and it fell. She breathed heavily, wiping her eyes again. She could do this. Another walker came stumbling around the corner, and she waited before pouncing, stabbing it again, breathing raggedly.

When she stumbled out oft hr tombs later, she was splattered with walker blood.

Rick looked up from where he'd been talking with Carol, concerned. "Jamie..."

" 'M fine." She muttered, sheathing her bloody knife and walking away, not meeting anyone's eyes.

She stopped at Beth's cell, stepping inside. "Beth?"

"Jamie?" Beth looked up from where she'd been playing with Judith, looking concerned.

Tears slowly started falling, and Beth nodded. "Just give me a minute..." she handed Judith to Maggie, closing the door to her cell and pulling the curtain she had fir privacy.

Jamie had taken a seat in the corner her friend's cell, and she sobbed as quietly as she could, now, not wanting anyone to know...

"Jamie..." Beth hugged her friend, letting her cry into her shoulder. Finally, she managed to pull herself together again.

"Beth... what if... what if my sister made it through? What if she wouldn't have turned, and I just shot her..."

"We both know that wouldn't have happened, Jamie. Once you get bit..."

"But what if Lily was different? What if Lizzy was right..."

"Jamie, she's wrong. You did the only thing you could..."

"I keep telling myself that. But it doesn't make it any easier."

"I know, Jamie..."

She stayed in beth's cell like that fir the rest of the day, Of course, Beth had things to do, she watched Beth take care of Judith from the corner, not wanting to be alone but not wanting to bother anyone. she could see the pitying glances Beth gave her every now and then. Beth was probably the only one she wouldn't scream at for pitying her, since Beth- good natured, sweet Beth- was always so nice to everyone, not to mention she was her best friend to boot.

"Do you want to come to the fire?" Beth asked finally, when night rolled around.

She shook her head. "No thanks."

"Come get me if you need anything, alright?"

"I will. Thanks, Beth."

"No problem, Jamie." Beth gave her one last glance before leaving.

From there Jamie just sighed, trying to sort herself out. Lizzy was, if anything, being a dumbass. walkers were walkers, they were killing machines... But the one thing she'd said about Lily had shaken her, What if Lily would've somehow survived the fever, what if she hadn't turned... What if she'd really murdered her sister?

She stood- she knew exactly where she was going.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, what do you guys think? Any feedback is appreciated! :)


End file.
